The Duke Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy conducts laboratory research to develop new therapies, to improve the success of stem cell and bone marrow transplant, and to reduce complications.
New therapies under development include:
- Dendritic cell vaccines
- Antibody therapies
- Therapies to reduce radiation injury after a terrorist attack with a "dirty bomb" or nuclear device
Stem Cell Regeneration
Division researchers identified a growth factor that promotes the expansion and regeneration of hematopoietic stem cells in culture and in laboratory animals.
BARDA Award - Genomic Signature for Radiation
Division researchers won a United States Department of Health and Human Services award to develop a rapid and accurate genomic-based diagnostic test to measure the amount of radiation a person has been exposed to during a nuclear accident or attack.
Graft-Versus-Host Disease
Efforts to understand the immunological events that occur in this complication include:
- Understanding murine reconstitution following transplantation
- Use of a peptide polymer to block MHC class II recognition of minor histocompatibility antigens
- Use of T cell engineering to prevent graft-versus-host disease while at the same time preserving a graft-versus-malignancy effect