Research
The goals of the Duvic Lab are:
- To gain a deeper understanding of the immunologic and molecular mechanisms underlying CTCL (and other T-cell mediated skin diseases) using CTCL cell lines, mouse models, and patient specimens; and
- To develop FDA approved safe and effective therapies that specifically eliminate lymphoma cells and protect or boost the host anti-tumor immunity.
Twenty years ago, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) patients would be treated with a total body beam radiation in a radiation oncology clinic or face radical surgery. Madeleine Duvic, M.D., decided to take an immunologic approach and has been involved, either as a designer or consultant, in the development of the last four drugs approved for the treatment of CTCL. Bexarotene was an idea of hers and ultimately produced by the pharmaceutical company Ligand in both oral and gel form.
Today, patients with Sezary Syndrome are still at the forefront of her clinical practice and research. She has been waiting for years to sequence the patient’s genome and is working to find specific molecules for targeting therapies for patients.