San Francisco, California, United States
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Activity
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Honored and excited to be part of the Firefly Bio team!
Honored and excited to be part of the Firefly Bio team!
Liked by Barbara Sennino
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We need YOU to join our Job Task Analysis workshop for the CompTIA Data Science exam November 14-18, 2022. Plus you'll earn $2,000!
We need YOU to join our Job Task Analysis workshop for the CompTIA Data Science exam November 14-18, 2022. Plus you'll earn $2,000!
Liked by Barbara Sennino
Experience & Education
Publications
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Amplification of Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus Widespread Tumor Cell Killing by Sunitinib through Multiple Mechanisms
Cancer Research
Oncolytic viruses pose many questions in their use in cancer therapy. In this study, we assessed the potential of mpJX-594 (mouse-prototype JX-594), a replication-competent vaccinia virus administered by intravenous injection, to target the tumor vasculature, produce immune activation and tumor cell killing more widespread than the infection, and suppress invasion and metastasis. These actions were examined in RIP-Tag2 transgenic mice with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors that developed…
Oncolytic viruses pose many questions in their use in cancer therapy. In this study, we assessed the potential of mpJX-594 (mouse-prototype JX-594), a replication-competent vaccinia virus administered by intravenous injection, to target the tumor vasculature, produce immune activation and tumor cell killing more widespread than the infection, and suppress invasion and metastasis. These actions were examined in RIP-Tag2 transgenic mice with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors that developed spontaneously and progressed as in humans. mpJX-594 initially infected tumor vascular endothelial cells, leading to vascular pruning and prolonged leakage in tumors but not in normal organs; parallel effects were observed in U87 gliomas. Viral infection spread to tumor cells, where tumor cell killing was much more widespread than the infection. Widespread tumor cell killing at 5 days was prevented by depletion of CD8+ T lymphocytes and did not require GM-CSF, as mpJX-594 variants that expressed human, mouse, or no GM-CSF produced equivalent amounts of killing. The antivascular, antitumor, and antimetastatic effects of mpJX-594 were amplified by concurrent or sequential administration of sunitinib, a multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. These effects were not mimicked by selective inhibition of VEGFR2 despite equivalent vascular pruning, but were accompanied by suppression of regulatory T cells and greater influx of activated CD8+ T cells. Together, our results showed that mpJX-594 targets tumor blood vessels, spreads secondarily to tumor cells, and produces widespread CD8+ T-cell-dependent tumor cell killing in primary tumors and metastases, and that these effects can be amplified by coadministration of sunitinib. Significance: These findings reveal multiple unrecognized features of the antitumor properties of oncolytic vaccinia viruses, all of which can be amplified by the multitargeted kinase inhibitor sunitinib.
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Poxvirus-Based Active Immunotherapy with PD-1 and LAG-3 Dual Immune Checkpoint Inhibition Overcomes Compensatory Immune Regulation, Yielding Complete Tumor Regression in Mice
PLoS ONE 11(2): e0150084
Poxvirus-based active immunotherapies mediate anti-tumor efficacy by triggering broad and durable Th1 dominated T cell responses against the tumor. While monotherapy significantly delays tumor growth, it often does not lead to complete tumor regression. It was hypothesized that the induced robust infiltration of IFNγ-producing T cells into the tumor could provoke an adaptive immune evasive response by the tumor through the upregulation of PD-L1 expression. In therapeutic CT26-HER-2 tumor…
Poxvirus-based active immunotherapies mediate anti-tumor efficacy by triggering broad and durable Th1 dominated T cell responses against the tumor. While monotherapy significantly delays tumor growth, it often does not lead to complete tumor regression. It was hypothesized that the induced robust infiltration of IFNγ-producing T cells into the tumor could provoke an adaptive immune evasive response by the tumor through the upregulation of PD-L1 expression. In therapeutic CT26-HER-2 tumor models, MVA-BN-HER2 poxvirus immunotherapy resulted in significant tumor growth delay accompanied by a robust, tumor-infiltrating T cell response that was characterized by low to mid-levels of PD-1 expression on T cells. As hypothesized, this response was countered by significantly increased PD-L1 expression on the tumor and, unexpectedly, also on infiltrating T cells. Synergistic benefit of anti-tumor therapy was observed when MVA-BN-HER2 immunotherapy was combined with PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade. Interestingly, PD-1 blockade stimulated a second immune checkpoint molecule, LAG-3, to be expressed on T cells. Combining MVA-BN-HER2 immunotherapy with dual PD-1 plus LAG-3 blockade resulted in comprehensive tumor regression in all mice treated with the triple combination therapy. Subsequent rejection of tumors lacking the HER-2 antigen by treatment-responsive mice without further therapy six months after the original challenge demonstrated long lasting memory and suggested that effective T cell immunity to novel, non-targeted tumor antigens (antigen spread) had occurred. These data support the clinical investigation of this triple therapy regimen, especially in cancer patients harboring PD-L1neg/low tumors unlikely to benefit from immune checkpoint blockade alone.
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Controlling escape from angiogenesis inhibitors.
Nature Review Cancer
Selective inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) increases the efficacy of chemotherapy and has beneficial effects on multiple advanced cancers, but response is often limited and the disease eventually progresses. Changes in the tumour microenvironment--hypoxia among them--that result from vascular pruning, suppressed angiogenesis and other consequences of VEGF inhibition can promote escape and tumour progression. New therapeutic approaches that target pathways that are…
Selective inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) increases the efficacy of chemotherapy and has beneficial effects on multiple advanced cancers, but response is often limited and the disease eventually progresses. Changes in the tumour microenvironment--hypoxia among them--that result from vascular pruning, suppressed angiogenesis and other consequences of VEGF inhibition can promote escape and tumour progression. New therapeutic approaches that target pathways that are involved in the escape mechanisms add the benefits of blocking tumour progression to those of slowing tumour growth by inhibiting angiogenesis.
More activity by Barbara
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EXCITING NEWS: We'll begin seeing patients at our new Precision Cancer Medicine Building later this month! Physicians and researchers will work…
EXCITING NEWS: We'll begin seeing patients at our new Precision Cancer Medicine Building later this month! Physicians and researchers will work…
Liked by Barbara Sennino
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PICI scientists UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and Caltech teamed up to develop two new methods for rapidly determining T cell targets for…
PICI scientists UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and Caltech teamed up to develop two new methods for rapidly determining T cell targets for…
Liked by Barbara Sennino
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A-to-I editing, one of the most prevalent #RNA modifications, is mediated by ADAR enzymes. We are working to inhibit #ADAR1 to induce cell death in…
A-to-I editing, one of the most prevalent #RNA modifications, is mediated by ADAR enzymes. We are working to inhibit #ADAR1 to induce cell death in…
Liked by Barbara Sennino
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Every Thursday, it's tradition for new employees to be introduced to the company & receive their Agios jacket, so yesterday, our chief executive of…
Every Thursday, it's tradition for new employees to be introduced to the company & receive their Agios jacket, so yesterday, our chief executive of…
Liked by Barbara Sennino
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