Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD

Conceptual Schematic

THE THREE MOST SIGNIFICANT QUESTIONS THAT DEFINE YOUR RESEARCH PROGRAM:
Can cancer vaccination promote clinically effective anti-tumor immunity, and if so, how can it be best applied? Can cancer vaccines be used to drive T cell activity and tumor infiltration that provides an optimal setting for other therapies, like checkpoint blockade? Can it overcome T cell exhaustion and immune suppression?

How does Alpha Fetoprotein, both from cord blood and secreted by hepatocellular cancers, modulate immunity? How does it change the function of dendritic cells, NK and T cells, and how can this immune suppression be counteracted?

What immune biomarkers can predict clinical outcome, give useful/actionable prognostic information, and/or provide insights into mechanism of action?

FIVE KEYWORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOUR AREAS OF INTEREST:
Tumor immunology
Alpha Fetoprotein
Cancer Vaccines
Melanoma
Hepatocellular Cancer

TECHNIQUES, MODELS, METHODS, ANALYTIC APPROACHES, ETC:
Human peripheral blood analysis (flow cytometry, cytokine/chemokine/growth factor production, proliferation, cytotoxicity; protein and mRNA expression).
Dendritic Cell-based vaccine production and analysis (research and clinical trial vaccination).
Adenovirus as a vehicle for vaccination and dendritic cell genetic engineering.
Immunotherapy biomarker investigation across cancer types.