Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network selects member sites

Research institutions at 27 sites across North America have been selected as part of the Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network, based at the Hutchinson Center. A new initiative in immunotherapy, CITN unites top academic immunologists to conduct multicenter research on therapies that boost patients’ own immune systems to fight cancer.

CITN selects, designs and conducts early phase studies using priority immunotherapies to provide the high quality data essential for developing treatments. By coordinating the efforts of academia, industry and philanthropic foundations, CITN hopes to accelerate the development of known cancer therapies not yet in use.

In addition to a Center site, led by the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance’s Dr. John Thompson, 26 other partner institutions were chosen:

• Baylor University
• Case Western Reserve University
• Dana Farber Cancer Center
• Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center
• Duke University Medical Center
• Emory University
• MD Anderson Cancer Center
• H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center
• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
• New York University Cancer Institute
• Ohio State University
• Providence Cancer Center
• Roswell Park Cancer Center
• Rush University Cancer Center
• Stanford University
• University of California, San Diego
• University of California, San Francisco
• University of Chicago
• University of Miami
• University of Minnesota
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Toronto Ontario Cancer Institute
• University of Virginia
• University of Wisconsin
• Yale University

CITN research will focus on testing high-priority agents, target antigens and regimens. Clinical trials will be conducted by member sites and tumor immunology labs.

CITN launched in September 2010. The network’s central operations and statistical office, led by Dr. Mac Cheever and co-principal investigators Drs. Nora Disis and Kim Margolin, is based in the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division.

An initial meeting of all network members will be held in May to discuss the operations of the program and to introduce the first concepts to be studied.

[Adapted from a CITN news release]