Cancer remains one of the greatest health concerns in the U.S., but University of Louisville cancer researchers and UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center oncologists are improving outcomes for patients in Kentucky and beyond. UofL’s Center for Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy (CCII), established in 2020, has been at the forefront of exciting developments in immunotherapy, using the patients’ own immune system to defeat cancer.
That work will continue and expand at UofL thanks to $11.5 million in new funding from the National Institutes of Health. The funding will support continuing research in the CCII to investigate therapies that activate the immune system against cancer and to train the next generation of cancer researchers and oncologists.
Since its launch, the CCII has helped four young researchers obtain independent federal funding and doubled the immune-oncology faculty at UofL from 10 to 20 members. The center’s faculty and research facilities also support UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center’s highly successful clinical trial program.
“The power and impact of our clinical and translational research in cancer immunotherapy are undeniable. This work provides hope for people facing a cancer diagnosis,” said UofL President Gerry Bradley. “I am grateful to our researchers and clinicians who devote their careers to advancing innovative therapies that benefit cancer patients in Kentucky and beyond and I am excited to see what the next phase brings.”
The CCII was created with an initial five-year Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE) grant of $11.5 million in 2020. The new $11.5 million CoBRE grant announced today will support the center’s work for an additional five years.
An essential component of the CCII’s mission is translating research into the clinical realm, making UofL Health an essential part of its work. CCII supports and is supported by Brown Cancer Center.
“UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center has been developing novel immunotherapies since the early 2000s and our collaboration with UofL’s research and educational programs has translated into lives saved not only in our region but also throughout the country,” said Jason Smith, chief executive officer of UofL Health. “This grant highlights the advantage of academic health care. We are able to leverage life-changing research from the University of Louisville and elsewhere, and put it to work to save and improve the lives of our patients.”
UofL and UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center are leaders in translating scientific discoveries to patient care and conducting clinical trials that bring new therapies to patients and improve chances of recovery for patients. Brown Cancer Center has led multiple clinical trials of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) therapy, and in 2024, the cellular therapy was approved by the FDA for metastatic melanoma.
“The UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center has been a leader and innovator when it comes to novel therapies like TILs,” said Jason Chesney, director of Brown Cancer Center and UofL professor of medicine. “We started offering TILs in clinical trials back in 2016. We have seen many patients who were told elsewhere that they had no other options, but they’ve come to us, and their lives have been extended for years. This grant has allowed us to continue this research so more of our patients can make it to weddings, graduations and meet their grandchildren.”
Julie Reynolds, 69, was the first patient treated with commercial TILs for metastatic melanoma after its FDA approval in February 2024. The retired teacher and Indiana resident was treated at Brown Cancer Center with TILs therapy in June 2024 and is alive and well today.
“The clinical trials of TILs that were conducted by Dr. Chesney at UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center led to the FDA approval of TILs last year which in turn led to me being alive so that I can enjoy spending more time with my family,” Reynolds said.
Training the next generation of investigators
One key goal of CoBRE programs is to train talented young investigators to become the next generation of research leaders. At CCII, young investigators benefit from project grants and mentoring by senior investigators, supported by CoBRE funding. All four of the young investigators who led projects under the first round of center funding have now obtained major federal funding of their own, including:
- Chuanlin Ding
- Qingsheng Li
- Corey Watson
- Kavitha Yaddanapudi
“When we launched this center, our mission was ambitious: to build a vibrant community of scientists who could bridge fundamental immunology with translational and clinical research, ultimately bringing new hope to patients with cancer,” said Jun Yan, director of the CCII. “Through this next phase, we will continue to provide a nurturing environment where junior investigators can develop cutting-edge research programs, gain access to advanced technologies and receive the mentorship and resources they need to succeed.”
As a first-round project leader in the program, Yaddanapudi’s translational research supported the clinical immunotherapy program at Brown Cancer Center. She investigated immune checkpoint inhibitor resistance in lung cancer patients to improve treatment and worked with the TILs clinical trial team. Now, Yaddanapudi is a mentor for other young investigators in CCII as they build their research programs.
Junior investigators currently receiving support and training include:
- Sharmila Nair
- Jian Zheng
- Joseph Chen
The center also houses research instruments in its Functional Immunomics Core facility. The equipment supports research by the CCII faculty, the junior researchers and other investigators at the university. It houses a Helios CyTOF instrument and a Hyperion Imaging Mass Cytometry, among other resources. To date, investigators within the program have secured approximately $33 million in research grants made possible by the core.
As part of its next phase, the CCII plans to add a tumor organoid fragment culture platform. The platform uses human tumor specimens and mimics the human body environment for more precise testing.
