Research

As a type of immunotherapy, cell therapies enhance the natural abilities of immune cells, such as T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, to detect and eliminate cancer cells at a magnitude the human body could never do alone. Cancer cells can often make themselves invisible to the immune system. Therefore, to better detect cancer cells, we can genetically modify immune cells by adding certain molecules, such as a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). Cell therapies also can be engineered to enhance their activity against target cells.

Bringing together the top minds in the field, the Institute for Cell Therapy Discovery & Innovation will lead exceptional discovery, translational and clinical research to accelerate the development of new treatments for cancer as well as autoimmune diseases, infections and other conditions. The institute aims to provide safe and effective therapies that will be available "off-the-shelf," which could improve access and lower treatment costs.

Home to the world’s largest cancer clinical trials program, MD Anderson leverages its tremendous research engine to advance new cell therapy applications safely and quickly. We draw upon expertise in immunology, cancer genomics, drug development, data science and artificial intelligence to translate scientific discoveries into impactful treatments. By gaining new insights in immunology and cell engineering, the institute will fuel the creation of breakthrough therapies that can be readily adapted to address emerging needs.

Rezvani Laboratory

The Rezvani laboratory broadly focuses on the role of natural killer (NK) cells in mediating protection against hematologic malignancies and solid tumors and strategies to enhance killing function against various cancer.

Learn more about the Rezvani Lab

Call for Proposals

The institute is looking for new collaborators. Interested researchers should review the funding guidlines and then submit their projects for review.

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The Institute for Cell Therapy Discovery & Innovation has a patient-centered approach to research and a focus on collaboration that allows breakthroughs to be translated into tangible, real-world, clinical therapies. MD Anderson offers the clinical infrastructure needed to run studies that can impact the lives of patients, reduce their suffering and provide them with options.

Learn more about clinical trials the institute has initiated

CARTOX

Our team has proposed guidelines for systematically dealing with the toxicities of immune cell-based therapies. CARTOX provides assistance opening a cellular therapy trial and helps to standardize our practices. To gain access, or for more information, please email us.

Email Ligny Hunter

Giulio Draetta, M.D., Ph.D.

Chief Scientific Officer

MD Anderson

The institute will leverage collaborations through multidisciplinary immunotherapy research.

Selected Publications

Kumar B, Singh A, Basar R, Uprety N, Li Y, Fan H, Cortes AKN, Kaplan M, Acharya S, Shaim H, Xu AC, Wu M, Ensley E, Fang D, Banerjee PP, Garcia LM, Tiberti S, Lin P, Rafei H, Munir MN, Moore M, Shanley M, Mendt M, Kerbauy LN, Liu B, Biederstädt A, Gokdemir E, Ghosh S, Kundu K, Reyes-Silva F, Jiang XR, Wan X, Gilbert AL, Dede M, Mohanty V, Dou J, Zhang P, Liu E, Muniz-Feliciano L, Deyter GM, Jain AK, Rodriguez-Sevilla JJ, Colla S, Garcia-Manero G, Shpall EJ, Chen K, Abbas HA, Rai K, Rezvani K, Daher M.

BATF is a major driver of NK cell epigenetic reprogramming and dysfunction in AML. Opens a new window

Sci Transl Med. 2024 Sep 11;16(764):eadp0004
Shanley M, Daher M, Dou J, Li S, Basar R, Rafei H, Dede M, Gumin J, Pantaleόn Garcίa J, Nunez Cortes AK, He S, Jones CM, Acharya S, Fowlkes NW, Xiong D, Singh S, Shaim H, Hicks SC, Liu B, Jain A, Zaman MF, Miao Q, Li Y, Uprety N, Liu E, Muniz-Feliciano L, Deyter GM, Mohanty V, Zhang P, Evans SE, Shpall EJ, Lang FF, Chen K, Rezvani K.

Interleukin-21 engineering enhances NK cell activity against glioblastoma via CEBPD. Opens a new window

Cancer Cell. 2024 Aug 12;42(8):1450-1466.e11.
Acharya S, Basar R, Daher M, Rafei H, Li P, Uprety N, Ensley E, Shanley M, Kumar B, Banerjee PP, Melo Garcia L, Lin P, Mohanty V, Kim KH, Jiang X, Pan Y, Li Y, Liu B, Nunez Cortes AK, Zhang C, Fathi M, Rezvan A, Montalvo MJ, Cha SL, Reyes-Silva F, Shrestha R, Guo X, Kundu K, Biederstadt A, Muniz-Feliciano L, Deyter GM, Kaplan M, Jiang XR, Liu E, Jain A, Roszik J, Fowlkes NW, Solis Soto LM, Raso MG, Khoury JD, Lin P, Vega F, Varadarajan N, Chen K, Marin D, Shpall EJ, Rezvani K.

CD28 costimulation augments CAR signaling in NK cells via the LCK/CD3Z/ZAP70 signaling axis. Opens a new window

Cancer Discov. 2024 Oct 4;14(10):1879-1900.
Marin D, Li Y, Basar R, Rafei H, Daher M, Dou J, Mohanty V, Dede M, Nieto Y, Uprety N, Acharya S, Liu E, Wilson J, Banerjee P, Macapinlac HA, Ganesh C, Thall PF, Bassett R, Ammari M, Rao S, Cao K, Shanley M, Kaplan M, Hosing C, Kebriaei P, Nastoupil LJ, Flowers CR, Moseley SM, Lin P, Ang S, Popat UR, Qazilbash MH, Champlin RE, Chen K, Shpall EJ, Rezvani K.

Safety, efficacy and determinants of response of allogeneic CD19-specific CAR-NK cells in CD19+ B cell tumors: a phase 1/2 trial. Opens a new window

Nat Med. 2024 Mar;30(3):772-784
Li Y, Rezvani K, Rafei H.

Next-generation chimeric antigen receptors for T- and natural killer-cell therapies against cancer. Opens a new window

Immunol Rev. 2023 Nov;320(1):217-235.
Li L, Mohanty V, Dou J, Huang Y, Banerjee PP, Miao Q, Lohr JG, Vijaykumar T, Frede J, Knoechel B, Muniz-Feliciano L, Laskowski TJ, Liang S, Moyes JS, Nandivada V, Basar R, Kaplan M, Daher M, Liu E, Li Y, Acharya S, Lin P, Shanley M, Rafei H, Marin D, Mielke S, Champlin RE, Shpall EJ, Chen K, Rezvani K.

Loss of metabolic fitness drives tumor resistance after CAR-NK cell therapy and can be overcome by cytokine engineering. Opens a new window

Sci Adv. 2023 Jul 28;9(30):eadd6997
Laskowski TJ, Biederstädt A, Rezvani K.

Natural killer cells in antitumour adoptive cell immunotherapy. Opens a new window

Nat Rev Cancer. 2022 Oct;22(10):557-575.
Liu E, Marin D, Banerjee P, Macapinlac HA, Thompson P, Basar R, Nassif Kerbauy L, Overman B, Thall P, Kaplan M, Nandivada V, Kaur I, Nunez Cortes A, Cao K, Daher M, Hosing C, Cohen EN, Kebriaei P, Mehta R, Neelapu S, Nieto Y, Wang M, Wierda W, Keating M, Champlin R, Shpall EJ, Rezvani K.

Use of CAR-Transduced Natural Killer Cells in CD19-Positive Lymphoid Tumors.

N Engl J Med. 2020 Feb 6;382(6):545-553.