Roswell Park is uniquely positioned to pave the way for the next great breakthrough in cancer care. As we enter the second phase of our Igniting Cancer Breakthroughs campaign, a campaign to change the future of cancer treatment, we turn our focus to training skilled cell production specialists and launching four key clinical trials. Your generous gifts are about to bring the next generation of care to cancer patients.
The groundwork for innovation
Roswell Park’s new GMP Engineering & Cell Manufacturing (GEM) Facility opened in January 2025 and saw the opening of 14 new cell manufacturing spaces — also called clean rooms — to expand the six already on campus. This robust new space allows for the in-house production of cells to drive innovation in cell therapy, an emerging and rapidly expanding form of immunotherapy. The GEM Facility is the first of its kind in New York State and will bring treatments and innovations to more patients in New York and across the country faster.
Your support of phase 1 of the Igniting Cancer Breakthroughs campaign made this possible along with an investment from New York State.
Training future leaders
“It takes a lot of talent, commitment and unique donors to help,” GEM Facility Technical Director Yeong "Christopher" Choi, PhD, MBA explains. “We have the leadership, we have the expertise, we have the passion, and we really need the donors to help make it possible.”
Building the foundation for a new staff training program takes a significant investment of $1.5 million and will support four key clinical trials.
Promising cell therapy clinical trials
Current cell therapy clinical trials are seeing an improvement in survival rates for patients with blood cancers. With those achievements in mind, Roswell Park researchers are now shifting focus to using recent discoveries to study CAR T-cell therapy, a type of cell therapy, on solid tumors. Using CAR T-cells to treat solid tumors remains challenging, because many patients either do not respond or their cancer returns after treatment. Researchers are now working to improve CAR T-cell design to help them work better and last longer in the body.
Four clinical trials for solid tumor cancers are in very early stages thanks to donor support:
Small cell lung and prostate cancer
Led by Drs. Renier Brentjens and Edwin Yau, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Oncology
This study will test new CAR T-cells in patients with chemotherapy-resistant small cell lung cancer and neuroendocrine prostate cancer, which can have prognoses of only months.
Adult and pediatric sarcoma
Led by Drs. Brentjens, Ajay Gupta, MD, MS and Joyce Ohm, PhD
Treatment options for cancer patients with bone sarcomas are limited, and the prognosis is poor. This study involves a novel dual-armored, dual-targeted strategy to overcome limitations in the use of CAR T-cell therapy for for adult and pediatric sarcoma patients.
Pancreatic cancer
Led by Drs. Brentjens, Anu Krishnamurthy and Leonid Cherkassky
This trial will combine targeting of both pancreatic tumor cells and cancer-supporting cells called fibroblasts which prevent optimal T-cell function against tumor cells.
Ovarian cancer
Led by Drs. Marco Davila and Emese Zsiros
This trial is testing a new form of cell therapy for patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, which has no cure and minimal treatment options.
Your continued support of Roswell Park’s Igniting Cancer Breakthroughs Campaign will provide the funding needed to ensure these trials get to patients who have few options.