To foster discovery, development, and delivery of novel immunologic approaches for the prevention and treatment of cancer and cancer-associated viral diseases.
Functions:
Facilitates collaboration, communication, and cooperation involving organizational
(e.g., CCR laboratories and branches, other NCI Divisions, other NIH ICs, other Government
labs, academia, industry, other research institutions) expertise, experience, knowledge,
and ideas in basic and clinical immunology.
Promotes interest in and fosters the development of new immune-based preventions and therapies.
Establishes bridges among immunologists, virologists, oncologists, and infectious disease physicians.
Facilitates incorporation of new technology discoveries (e.g., genomics, proteomics, and imaging) into clinical studies of immune-based preventions and therapies.lip>
Provides reports on intramural accomplishments that add value to the scientific community.
Recommends new or enhanced basic and clinical immunology programs to the Director of CCR.
Serves as a "think tank" in basic, translational, and clinical immunology to provide input and advice to the trans-NIH priority-setting committee.
Serves as a "laboratory" for testing pilot multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research programs as described in the NIH "roadmap."
Identifies barriers to the development of immune-based medicines and recommends solutions to overcome them.
Provides regulatory, intellectual property, ethical, and consulting support for product/clinical development.
Facilitates access to clinical-grade biologic reagents controlled by companies at the level of patents or production expertise.
Focus:
Cell and molecular immunotherapies
Vaccines
Antiviral agents
Immune-based product discovery, development, and delivery
Research to identify new targets and approaches
Goals:
Enhancing the interaction between the NCI Intramural Program and the extramural community
Providing more coordination in translational/clinical research between the intramural and extramural communities
Demonstrating “value added” to the extramural communities by the NCI Intramural Program
Accelerating development of new cancer therapies, particularly combined modality therapies
Exploiting emerging technologies to access more knowledge of the mechanisms involved in these therapies
Identifying and overcoming barriers to product development—e.g., regulatory, intellectual property, and ethical issues
Discovering new targets and approaches through fundamental research
