Research

The Section of Medical Oncology, led by Robert Kratzke, MD, has active laboratory and clinical research programs related to common and rare solid tumor malignancies. Our faculty specialize in basic science, translational science, and clinical research in breast, lung, gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary tract, soft tissues, and other solid tumors. Our faculty are heavily involved in collaborative research focused on the causes, prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer and applying that knowledge to improve the quality of life for patients and survivors. 

Key initiatives of our research are to identify personalized treatment regimens tailored to a patient’s specific cancer and to develop strategies to help prevent the long-term complications of treatments in our cancer survivors, particularly in the areas of cardiovascular health. The desire to improve care for real patients motivates our faculty to expand boundaries and mold healthcare policy, reaching outward to optimize healthcare standards locally and nationally.

Medical Oncology recruits disease-oriented researchers who can conduct outstanding basic or clinical research as well as treat patients at the Masonic Cancer Center and University of Minnesota Medical Center. As a result, there is substantial expertise within the Division for specific cancers and oncogenes, as well as for interdisciplinary areas such as molecular and cellular oncology, precision cancer medicine, early drug development, immuno-oncology, population sciences and genetics, and research and clinical informatics. 

Medical Oncology communicates the results of clinical and experimental research in oncology, particularly with experimental therapeutics with the field of immunotherapy and chemotherapy. It also provides state-of-the-art reviews on clinical and experimental therapies in oncology. Coverage includes immunobiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of malignant tumors. 

Hematologic malignancies are cancers that begin in blood-forming tissue, such as the bone marrow, or in the cells of the immune system. There are three main types of hematologic malignancies: leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

•    Lymphoma is a cancer that starts in the lymphatic system, which is an important part of the immune system.
•    Myeloma is a cancer that develops in the bone marrow and affects plasma cells.
•    Leukemia is a cancer that starts in the bone marrow or blood.

The Section of Malignant Hematology is headed by Veronika Bachanova, MD, PhD. Our clinical faculty provide specialized expertise for patients with hematologic malignancies by delivering compassionate care combined with access to cutting-edge therapies and innovative clinical trials. Laboratory research is focused on investigations of the genetics and molecular mechanisms that drive hematologic malignancies to provide a foundation for the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Clinical and translational research are supported by the Hematologic Malignancy Tissues Bank, a comprehensively annotated bio-repository of primary marrow and blood samples, and clinical data dashboards that organize patient data from various laboratory and clinical sources. In addition, faculty investigations focus on the use of immunologic, biologic, genetic, and clinical biomarkers that can predict toxicity with cancer therapy and select patients who are most likely to respond to treatment.  

Working closely with the Adult Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapies Program, our faculty have expertise in design and development of new cellular and immunotherapies, including phase I/II trials of CAR-T cell therapies and natural killer cellular therapies for the treatment of lymphoma, myeloma, acute leukemias, and other hematologic malignancies.  

The term “classical hematology,” replacing the earlier “non-malignant hematology,” helps us define the field by what it is rather than what it is not, while celebrating centuries of scientific advances and progress fundamental to every aspect of health care and medicine. Classical hematology encompasses a large number of diseases and conditions including bleeding and clotting disorders, hemoglobin disorders such as sickle cell disease and anemia, thrombocytopenia, disorders of iron metabolism, obstetric hematologic conditions, rare genetic hematologic diseases, and more. Discoveries in classical hematology have significantly advanced the field, helping to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life of patients with non-cancerous blood disorders.

The Section of Classical Hematology, led by Gregory Vercellotti, MD, offers expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of a broad spectrum of classical blood disorders. Our nationally recognized faculty have a diverse range of research interests from laboratory-based and population sciences to clinical trials and outcome studies. Our faculties’ laboratory-based research is focused on endothelial biology, iron metabolism and iron deficiency, myeloproliferative neoplasms, and the pathobiology of sickle cell disease. 

Our clinical faculty are actively engaged in novel institutional and multi-institutional clinical trialswith strong basic correlative science. Key areas of clinical research include gene therapies for sickle cell disease and thalassemia, heritable and acquired bleeding and clotting disorders, transfusion medicine, thrombosis, hemophilia, porphyria, thrombotic microangiopathy, and other hematologic disorders. Many clinical trials are currently open and available to our patients. By conducting rigorous and innovative laboratory and clinical research, our hematologists are committed to improving the health and safety of patients with classical blood diseases.

The Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) team never stops searching for the best outcome with the least impact. BMT is a special therapy for patients with certain cancers or other diseases. A bone marrow transplant involves taking cells that are normally found in the bone marrow (stem cells), filtering those cells, and giving them back either to the donor (patient) or to another person. The goal of BMT is to transfuse healthy bone marrow cells into a person after his or her own unhealthy bone marrow has been treated to kill the abnormal cells. Bone marrow transplant has been used successfully to treat diseases such as leukemias, lymphomas, aplastic anemia, immune deficiency disorders, and some solid tumor cancers since 1968. A team of researchers, physicians, nurses and support staff focus on treating and preventing infection, late effects and organ toxicity. As a site for pharmaceutical trials and protocol development in each of these areas, the team ensures that patients have every opportunity for the best possible outcomes.

Our cutting-edge research is developing novel immunotherapy for cancer. The Section of Blood and Marrow Transplantation is headed by Jeffrey Miller, MD. Faculty are members of the Adult Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (BMTCT) Program, one of the oldest and largest such program in the world. Clinical efforts and basic research focus on improving the safety and efficacy of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) which is the most widely practiced and powerful form of cellular therapy. The Adult BMTCT Program is a highly research-oriented program encompassing laboratory-based research, clinical trials, and outcome studies. 

Jeffrey Miller, MD, leads the Natural Killer (NK) Cell Program focused on NK cells and their role in transplant. Faculty are engaged in research activities related to stem cell and transplant biology, novel transplantation strategies, hematopoiesis, immune therapy, and graft-versus-host disease.  GVHD is a life-threatening complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, and our faculty are developing the tools and methods that will allow us to transplant grafts of pure blood forming stem cells with the goal to eliminate potentially harmful passenger cells contained in a blood stem cell graft. Additionally, faculty are engaged in efforts to improve post-transplant toxicities, outcomes, and long-term effects among cancer survivors.