Texas Tech School of Medicine Cancer Research Group
The Cancer Research Group in the School of Medicine at Amarillo concentrates primarily on basic/translational and clinical research, encompassing molecular and cellular approaches
Basic research includes the molecular isolation, identification and characterization of novel tumor antigens, immunotherapy of hematologic malignancies and lung and breast cancer, and the in vivo trafficking of human hematopoeitic and other adult stem cells. State of the arts laboratory space of approximately 10,000 sq ft is specially dedicated for basic cancer research in the School of Medicine. The laboratories are housed in both the Women's Health Research Institute and Northwest Texas Hospital. A multidisciplinary approach ensures that basic research results are quickly translatable to the clinic and bedside. Basic and translational research activities are funded through the National Institute of Health/National Cancer Institute and the Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Research Funds. Principal research groups are listed below. Collaborations are established between these groups, School of Pharmacy and Harrington Cancer Center.
Clinical/translational research projects concentrate on the management of both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, including integrating with the Women's Health Research Institute of Amarillo in the design of novel approaches to the treatment of ovarian and breast cancer. Because the research group is also an integral section of the Harrington Cancer Center, patients may be enrolled on clinical protocols available only through the Harrington Cancer Center. Both in-house protocols and the National Cancer Institute's Southwest Oncology Group programs are available to the patients. The hematopoietic stem cell transplantation program has also been re-established and intense activities are also ongoing in the design of novel approaches to hematopoeitic stem cell transplantation, including non-myeloablative transplant.
BASIC AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH GROUPS
Seah H Lim, MD, PhD (Principal Investigator)
Professor and Chief of Division of Hematology and Oncology
His group works mainly in hematologic malignancies and the molecular identification and regulation of gene expression of novel tumor antigens. Other activities include monoclonal antibody production, dendritic cell-based vaccine strategy, molecular tumor immunology and studies of graft-versus-host disease and graft-versus-tumor effects. The laboratory is funded by the National Institute of Health.
Group members:
- Yana Zhang, MD, PhD - Director of Laboratory Affair and Research Assistant Professor
- Zhiqing Wang, PhD - Research Assistant Professor
- Yiqing Chen, MD - Research Instructor
- Zhanfei Li, MD, PhD - Postdoctoral scientist
- Jian Zhang, BA - Research Technician
Stephen Wright, MD (Principal Investigator)
Associate Professor and Chief of Oncology, Amarillo VA Medical Center
Adoptive immunotherapy of ovarian and breast cancer: MUC-1 cytotoxic T lymphocytes; adoptive immunotherapy.
Group members:
- Zhenyao Wang
- Jamie Ambrose
- Earl Gilmore
Mark Dobrzanski, PhD
Assistant Professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology
Research interests in tumor immunology and cancer vaccine research with an emphasis on melanoma and breast cancer. He is particularly interested in examining (i) the roles of select tumor-reactive CD8 effector T cell subpopulations in tumor immunity and their potential as therapeutic agents in disseminated malignancy and (ii) studying the mechanisms involved in tumor rejection and evasion.