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Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
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Research Focuses

We focus on the highest-impact research with the greatest potential to save lives.

We tackle the biggest obstacles.

At PICI, we take on high-risk, high-reward research projects in four key areas that hold the most promise to advance immunotherapy and help patients. We empower our visionary scientists and clinicians to tackle the hardest questions in order to accelerate the next cancer breakthroughs.

CAR-T and Cell Therapy: the Next Wave

CAR-T and Cell Therapy: The Next Wave

Challenge: To engineer a smarter army of next-gen cell therapies that seek out specific targets and attack cancer — again and again.

Checkpoint Inhibitors: Overcoming Resistance

Checkpoint Inhibitors: Overcoming Resistance

Challenge: To uncover why some patients respond to checkpoint inhibitors for cancer while others don’t. If we know when and how immunotherapy resistance arises, we can prevent or even reverse it.

Tumor Antigen Discovery: Targeting Cancer

Tumor Antigen Discovery: Targeting Cancer

Challenge: To find the “red flags” that show us where cancer is hiding. By pinpointing these antigens that fire up our immune system, we can create more effective personalized anti-cancer therapies.

Tumor Microenvironment: How to Break Through

Tumor Microenvironment: How to Break Through

Challenge: To infiltrate a solid tumor’s defenses. How can we break down the tumor microenvironment that walls off cancer from immunotherapy treatments?