Scientific Interest(s):
Dr. Robert Prins' research group studies immune-based therapies for the treatment of malignant glioma. Despite recent advances in traditional treatment options, the prognosis for these patients has not changed appreciably in twenty years. Thus, these patients are left with few treatment options. Members of Prins' research group are attempting to apply what they learn from pre-clinical models towards the implementation of immunotherapy clinical trials for brain tumor patients. This work is truly “translational” in nature and straddles the boundary between clinical medicine and basic research. On one hand, Prins' group spends a significant amount of time trying to understand the mechanisms by which tumor-specific T-cells can be activated to target tumor cells in the brain. On the other hand, Prins leads the laboratory effort for immunotherapy clinical trials at UCLA in glioma patients; in this aspect, he generates dendritic cell vaccines for these patients. This work represents the “bench to bedside” philosophy and truly is an active synergy between laboratory and clinical medicine.
Selected Cancer-Related Publications:
Prins RM, Cloughesy TF, Liau LM. Cytomegalovirus immunity after vaccination with autologous glioblastoma lysate.N Engl J Med. 2008 Jul 31;359(5):539-41.
Prins RM, Shu CJ, Radu CG, Vo DD, Khan-Farooqi H, Soto H, Yang MY, Lin MS, Shelly S, Witte ON, Ribas A, Liau LM. Anti-tumor activity and trafficking of self, tumor-specific T cells against tumors located in the brain. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2008 Sep;57(9):1279-89. Epub 2008 Feb 6.
Prins RM, Vo DD, Khan-Farooqi H, Yang MY, Soto H, Economou JS, Liau LM, Ribas A. NK and CD4 cells collaborate to protect against melanoma tumor formation in the brain. J Immunol. 2006; 177(12): 8448-55.
Prins RM, Craft N, Bruhn KW, Khan-Farooqi H, Koya RC, Stripecke R, Miller JF, Liau LM. The TLR-7 agonist, imiquimod, enhances dendritic cell survival and promotes tumor antigen-specific T cell priming: relation to central nervous system antitumor immunity. J Immunol. 2006; 176(1): 157-64.
Prins RM, Odesa SK, Liau LM. Immunotherapeutic targeting of shared melanoma-associated antigens in a murine glioma model. Cancer Res. 2003; 63(23): 8487-91.