University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI)

Skin Cancer SPORE

John Kirkwood, MD, Principal Investigator

The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute is conducting a Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Skin Cancer. The overall goals of the SPORE are to improve the detection and treatment of skin cancer. The SPORE includes six translational research projects in skin cancer, four cores including an administrative core, a developmental research program, and a career development program. The Skin Cancer SPORE uses an interdisciplinary approach to meet its objectives by carrying out projects with co- investigators in basic, applied, and clinical science. It is also organ-specific; all translational research projects test hypotheses about skin cancer biology, susceptibility, detection, or treatment with a long-term goal of improving treatment outcomes for patients diagnosed with skin cancer.

The main projects are:

• Chemoprevention of Melanoma with Sulforaphane
• Multiple Antigen-Engineered DC Immunization and IFNα Boost for Metastatic Melanoma
• Polarized Dendritic Cells Guide Melanoma-Specific Responses
• Therapeutic Immune Targeting of EphA2 Expressed by Melanoma and Its Tumor-Associated Vasculature
• Delineating the DNA Repair pathways impacting alkylating agent efficacy in the treatment of Melanoma
• Augmentation of Dendritic Cell-based Immunotherapy for Sezary Syndrome by T-reg depletion

The research cores are the Tissue Core, the Immunological Monitoring and Cellular Products Laboratory (IMCPL), and the Biostatistics Core. These research cores will support the main research projects, developmental research projects, and the career development investigators in carrying out translational skin cancer research. The Administrative Core will solicit feedback from the Internal and External Scientific Advisory Boards and provide scientific, regulatory, and fiscal oversight for the SPORE program. The Skin SPORE investigators will work together to synergistically achieve the goals of the program and will also interact with investigators from SPOREs at other institutions to improve the outcome of patients with skin cancer.

Contact:
Bonnie Mislanovich
Skin Cancer SPORE Administrator
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
The Hillman Cancer Center
Research Pavilion, Suite 1.32
5117 Centre Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-1863
Phone: 412-623-7707
Fax: 412-623-7704
Email: mislanovichbm@upmc.edu