Tyler Curiel, MD, MPH
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Improving B7-H1 blockade to treat ovarian cancer
Immunotherapy theoretically should be effective for ovarian cancer but only has modest effects because of ovarian cancer-related immune dysfunction. Dr. Curiel will use a well-established pre-clinical mouse model to test rationally designed combinations of agents that should be synergistically useful to treat OC based on known and hypothesized mechanisms of action of selected agents and targets. Agents used are FDA-approved or already in human trials, speeding translation. The current project combines the two most effective cancer immunotherapies known based on preliminary data – anti-PD-1 and anti-B7-H1 – to test for synergy in improving immune responses against ovarian cancer.