In the Pipeline and Under Study

Promising research currently underway at Roswell Park is the development of a vaccine that harnesses the power of the immune system to fight cancer. Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology, and colleagues are combining efforts to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine treatment, which they hope will be tested in large-scale clinical studies. Early ovarian cancer vaccine studies found that patients with tumors that test positive for the antigen NY-ESO-1 who had previously been treated for ovarian cancer did respond to the vaccine, and some continued to respond up to 12 months after immunization, suggesting a long-lasting effect.

The new Center for Immunotherapy at Roswell Park, headed by Dr. Odunsi, brings together a critical mass of clinical investigators and scientists at the newly established Immune Analysis Facility and Therapeutic Cell Production Facility. These top minds and cutting-edge resources will put RPCI on the fast track toward developing effective new immunotherapies like the cancer vaccine, as well as antibody therapy, cellular therapy and immune-response modifiers that may forever alter the fight against cancer.

• A research collaboration by Dr. Odunsi and Thomas Szyperski, PhD, of the University at Buffalo’s Department of Chemistry is showing great potential to lead to an early screening test capable of detecting ovarian cancer when it is most curable.
• Our researchers are working to develop a promising vaccine to unleash the power of the immune system against ovarian cancer. Dr. Odunsi and colleagues are combining efforts to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine treatment which they hope will be tested in large-scale clinical studies.
• The Gilda Radner Familial Ovarian Registry is pursuing research into causes of familial cancer in collaboration with investigators at Roswell Park, Stanford University School of Medicine and Cambridge University. Our goals are to identify new genes associated with familial ovarian cancer, thereby improving genetic and psychosocial counseling for individuals and families and to characterize lifestyle choices (i.e., oral contraceptive use, hormone replacement therapy, number of pregnancies) that reduce ovarian cancer risk in women who may be more susceptible to the disease. We hope to acquire information that will lead to better methods for detecting ovarian cancer, for reliable predictive testing for cancer predisposition and ultimately, preventing the disease in future generations.

Research Milestones: Ovarian Cancer

Oncologists at RPCI have been at the forefront of clinical research in gynecologic cancers since the 1970s, when they founded the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG). Today, as one of the National Cancer Institute’s funded research groups, the GOG encompasses more than 50 principal centers and more than 160 affiliate institutions, paving the way and setting the standard for cancer research and treatment.

It is because of GOG studies that patients have access to the most current and up-to-date treatments, which are shaping the standard of care for gynecologic cancers worldwide. One example of a treatment born out of GOG research efforts is intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy.

Clinical Trials For Patients at All Cancer Stages

Roswell Park maintains one of the first Clinical Research Centers in the nation that focuses specifically on the development of new cancer treatments. The Center provides more treatment options for patients through clinical research studies, and makes it possible to expand RPCI’s Phase I program, which represents the first step toward FDA approval.