# Tumor Immunology

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2020 · $71,440

## Abstract

TUMOR IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH PROGRAM (TI)
ABSTRACT
AACR president-elect Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD (Director) together with T cell engineer Yvonne Chen, PhD (Co-
Director) lead the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC) Tumor Immunology Research Program
(TI). Ribas and Chen stimulate Program cohesion and goal-oriented achievement through two independent but
related objectives, which are to provide a highly interactive and supportive environment that deepens member
understanding of tumor immunology, and to develop novel immune-based therapies for patients with cancer. TI
brings basic and translational scientists together, guided by Los Angeles County (LAC) catchment area needs
and priorities, to spawn novel investigator-initiated immunotherapy clinical trials in melanoma, lymphoma, brain,
lung, and kidney cancer, and other tumor types. There are many TI Program strengths, including in the following
nine areas. (1) Bringing new cancer immunotherapies to drug regulatory approval. (2) Uncovering mechanisms
of response and resistance to immune checkpoint blockade. (3) Clinical trials of genetically engineered T cells
and their precursors with T cell receptors (TCRs) or chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) to generate cancer-
directed immune systems. (4) Non-invasive imaging of tumor antigen-specific T cell distributions and tumor
targeting in vivo. (5) Engineering new platforms for immune monitoring of T cell responses to cancer. (6)
Examining the relationship between inflammation and cancer. (7) Generating and using antibody fusion proteins
for cancer therapy. (8) Investigating therapeutic combinations with targeted agents to sensitize cancer cells to
immunotherapy. (9) Studies aiming to improve the lives of patients with AIDS-related cancers. These nine and
additional basic and translational Program strengths rely heavily upon a CCSG-funded infrastructure and all six
JCCC Shared Resources. The Flow Cytometry Shared Resource (FCSR) is the most active core and the Small
Animal Imaging Shared Resource (SAISR) enables T cell imaging projects that move from preclinical models to
patients. Outside of the six official JCCC Shared Resources is the JCCC/Human Gene Medicine Program Good
Manufacturing Practices (GMP) facility, which TI investigators use to manufacture personalized cell products in-
house, meeting local, state, and federal regulations for use in humans. The TI Program has 31 members from
11 departments in four schools at UCLA and affiliate, Caltech. As of March 1, 2019, the Program had
$19,280,597 in direct cost funding, including $4,823,507 (25%) from the NCI, and $14,028,565 (73%) in direct
cost peer-reviewed funding. Program discoveries resulted in 627 publications, with 13% from intra-programmatic
and 37% from inter-programmatic collaborations. In addition, 57% of publications are from collaborations with
external institutions and 44% are in high-impact (IF ≥10, or field leading) journals. Impactful Program research
yielded paradigm shifting ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9936723
- **Project number:** 2P30CA016042-44
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** ANTONI RIBAS
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $71,440
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9936723

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9936723, Tumor Immunology (2P30CA016042-44). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9936723. Licensed CC0.

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