Immunotherapy Center - Vision and Mission
The Immunotherapy Center is a new center of research excellence at the
Medical College of Georgia. Many diseases develop because the immune system
is over-active, as in autoimmune diseases (e.g. type I diabetes, rheumatoid
arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus etc.), or under-active, as in cancer
and chronic infectious diseases (e.g. HIV, Hepatitis, TB, Listeria, etc.).
The primary role of the immune system is to eliminate microbial infections
that cause pathogenic disease. To perform this key function immune cells
must recognize and respond to ‘foreign’ molecules (antigens) expressed by
invading pathogens leading to the destruction of pathogens and of cells they
infect. The ability of immune cells to recognize a huge range of different
antigens explains why organs transplanted between individuals are rejected
unless immunosuppressive drugs are given to patients to suppress transplant
rejection. Autoimmune diseases arise because the immune system is not
regulated properly and immune cells start to destroy healthy cells and
tissues such as cells that make insulin, leading to type 1 diabetes.
Likewise, over-active immune cells contribute to inflammatory processes that
lead to cardiovascular disease over time. In contrast, diseases like
cancer and chronic infections arise, in part, because the immune system is
abnormally suppressed, leading to a state of specific tolerance, which
allows tumors to grow and infections to persist in people with otherwise
effective immune systems. The mission of the MCG Immunotherapy Center is to
discover fundamental molecular mechanisms and cellular processes that
control the immune system and to translate this new knowledge into
innovative approaches to prevent and treat clinical disease. To achieve
this goal, scientists using cell and animal model systems are working with
clinical investigators and clinical faculty to increase understanding of
immune system function and to apply this knowledge to treat disease in the
clinic. In recognition of the critical role of the immune system in cancer
etiology, the Immunotherapy Center will be relocated to the new Cancer
Research Center in 2006, which is equipped with new research facilities to
support basic and clinical research, including new facilities essential to
promote studies on patient materials for pre-clinical research and
experimental clinical trials.
Immunotherapy Center - Research Programs
Research at the Immunotherapy Center is focused on fundamental
mechanisms that regulate immune system activity, which help to prevent
autoimmune diseases, but allow tumors and chronic infections to persist.
Research goals are to discover how to manipulate these mechanisms to
stimulate the immune system to attack tumors and infected cells, and to
prevent the immune system destroying healthy cells and transplanted organs
and tissues. The Center Director,
Andrew
Mellor Ph.D. and Associate Director,
David Munn
M.D., lead research groups studying how cells expressing indoleamine 2,3
dioxygenase (IDO) suppress immune responses, a mechanism first discovered at
MCG in 1998. Drs. Mellor and Munn continue to describe new insights into
this mechanism that provide novel opportunities to treat patients. With the
support of the National Cancer Institute (NIH) and a corporate partner,
experimental clinical trials to test if pharmacologic inhibition of IDO will
improve treatments for cancer and chronic infections are planned in the near
the future.
Makio Iwashima Ph.D. and
Pandelakis Koni Ph.D. lead research
groups studying T cells and regulatory T cells that inhibit immune responses
mediated by other T cells. Through fundamental studies, these investigators
are discovering new ways to manipulate T cells to improve disease outcomes
in the clinic.
Michiko Shimoda Ph.D. is studying the role of B cells in
autoimmune disease and protective memory following vaccination.
Stephen Peiper M.D. (chair, Department of Pathology) leads the Chemokine Biology
Program, which focuses on interfering with chemokine-receptor interactions
that allow tumors and HIV to evade immune responses.
Zixuan Wang Ph.D. is
the scientific Director of GEMLab LLC, a new molecular diagnostic laboratory
based in the Department of Pathology responsible for developing, validating
and implementing new clinical diagnostic tests.
Immunotherapy Center - Leadership and Administration
The MCG Immunotherapy Center is lead by Drs. Mellor and Munn who founded
the Center in 2002. As the Director of the Immunotherapy Center, Dr. Mellor
reports to the Dean of the School of Medicine and is responsible for overall
development of research programs and administration. As the Associate
Director, Dr. Munn is primarily responsible for developing clinical research
programs. The Immunotherapy Center Business Manager is Ms.
Phyllis McKie.
Andrew Mellor, Ph.D.
Immunotherapy Center Director and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar
in Immunogenetics
David Munn, M.D.
Immunotherapy Center Associate Director and Professor of Pediatrics
| Contact Information: Immunotherapy Center Medical College of Georgia 1120 15th Street, CA-2006 Augusta, GA 30912-2600 (706) 721-8735 (706) 721-8732, fax |