The Lubaroff Lab is located on the third floor of the Roland and Ruby Holden Cancer Research Laboratories in the Medical Education and Biomedical Research Laboratories (MERF). The laboratory shares common equipment space on the third floor and also occupies rooms 3219A – E and the tissue culture laboratory in room 3241B.
The
research in the laboratory focuses on tumor immunology and immunotherapy with
an emphasis on the development of therapeutic vaccines for prostate cancer.
Toward that end we have developed a vaccine in which the gene for prostate
specific antigen (PSA) has been inserted into a replication deficient adenovirus.
This adenovirus/PSA (Ad/PSA) vaccine has been shown to induce strong anti-PSA
immune responses as evidenced by the presence of anti-PSA antibodies and anti-PSA
T cells. Protective immunity to a challenge with PSA-secreting mouse prostate
tumor cells can be demonstrated in mice immunized with the vaccine. The destruction
of established tumors can be accomplished by the combination of Ad/PSA vaccine
immunization and cytokine gene therapy using viruses that produce IL2, IL12,
and TNFa. We are also investigating the augmentation
and modulation of anti-tumor immune responses by the use of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides
and the development of other microbial vaccines that would induce vigorous
anti-prostate tumor immunity.
Studies
on the molecular mechanisms of prostate tumor metastasis have been carried
out in collaboration with the laboratory of Dr.
Mary Hendrix. These studies have demonstrated that cells that express
the homotypic adhesion molecule E-cadherin are less likely to induce metastatic
lesions than cells that have lost expression of the molecule. Other studies
have demonstrated that aggressive prostate tumors exhibit “vasculogenic
mimicry” in which tumor cells form vascular channels to permit blood
flow to the tumors.
Collaborations
with the laboratory of Dr.
Susan Lutgendorf are addressing the role of psychological factors on immune
function in women with ovarian, cervical, and breast cancers and the role
these factors may have on disease progression.
Research in the laboratory is assisted by the outstanding team of people listed
below.
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Jeanne Howard BA, Mt. Holyoke University |
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Jennifer Paisley BA, BS, University of Iowa |
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Dev Karan BS, M.D. University, Rohtak, India |
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Stephanie McGinn BS, University of Iowa |
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Daniel Pederson Research Assistant BA, Grinnell College |
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Marjorie Kuperman Office Assistant to the VA REAP in Prostate Cancer marjorie-kuperman@uiowa.edu |
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Adam Carlson Undergraduate Research Assistant |
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