That work will continue and expand at UofL thanks to $11.5 million in new funding from the National Institutes of Health. The funding will support continuing research in the CCII to investigate therapies that activate the immune system against cancer and to train the next generation of cancer researchers and oncologists.

Since its launch, the CCII has helped four young researchers obtain independent federal funding and doubled the immune-oncology faculty at UofL from 10 to 20 members. The center’s faculty and research facilities also support highly successful clinical trial program.

“The power and impact of our clinical and translational research in cancer immunotherapy are undeniable. This work provides hope for people facing a cancer diagnosis,” said UofL President Gerry Bradley. “I am grateful to our researchers and clinicians who devote their careers to advancing innovative therapies that benefit cancer patients in Kentucky and beyond and I am excited to see what the next phase brings.”   

The CCII was created with an initial five-year Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE) grant of $11.5 million in 2020. The new $11.5 million CoBRE grant announced today will support the center’s work for an additional five years.

An essential component of the CCII’s mission is translating research into the clinical realm, making UofL Health an essential part of its work. CCII supports and is supported by Brown Cancer Center.

“UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center has been developing novel immunotherapies since the early 2000s and our collaboration with UofL’s research and educational programs has translated into lives saved not only in our region but also throughout the country,” said Jason Smith, chief executive officer of UofL Health. “This grant highlights the advantage of academic health care. We are able to leverage life-changing research from the University of Louisville and elsewhere, and put it to work to save and improve the lives of our patients.”

UofL and UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center are leaders in translating scientific discoveries to patient care and conducting clinical trials that bring new therapies to patients and improve chances of recovery for patients. Brown Cancer Center has led multiple clinical trials of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) therapy, and in 2024, the cellular therapy was for metastatic melanoma.

“The UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center has been a leader and innovator when it comes to novel therapies like TILs,” said Jason Chesney, director of Brown Cancer Center and . “We started offering TILs in clinical trials back in 2016. We have seen many patients who were told elsewhere that they had no other options, but they’ve come to us, and their lives have been extended for years. This grant has allowed us to continue this research so more of our patients can make it to weddings, graduations and meet their grandchildren.”

Julie Reynolds, 69, was the first patient treated with commercial TILs for metastatic melanoma after its FDA approval in February 2024. The retired teacher and Indiana resident was treated at Brown Cancer Center with TILs therapy in June 2024 and is alive and well today.

“The clinical trials of TILs that were conducted by Dr. Chesney at UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center led to the FDA approval of TILs last year which in turn led to me being alive so that I can enjoy spending more time with my family,” Reynolds said.

Training the next generation of investigators

One key goal of CoBRE programs is to train talented young investigators to become the next generation of research leaders. At CCII, young investigators benefit from project grants and mentoring by senior investigators, supported by CoBRE funding. All four of the young investigators who led projects under the first round of center funding have now obtained major federal funding of their own, including:

• Chuanlin Ding
• Qingsheng Li
• Corey Watson
• Kavitha Yaddanapudi

“When we launched this center, our mission was ambitious: to build a vibrant community of scientists who could bridge fundamental immunology with translational and clinical research, ultimately bringing new hope to patients with cancer,” said Jun Yan, director of the CCII. “Through this next phase, we will continue to provide a nurturing environment where junior investigators can develop cutting-edge research programs, gain access to advanced technologies and receive the mentorship and resources they need to succeed.”

As a first-round project leader in the program, Yaddanapudi’s translational research supported the clinical immunotherapy program at Brown Cancer Center. She investigated immune checkpoint inhibitor resistance in lung cancer patients to improve treatment and worked with the TILs clinical trial team. Now, Yaddanapudi is a mentor for other young investigators in CCII as they build their research programs.

Junior investigators currently receiving support and training include:

• Sharmila Nair
• Jian Zheng
• Joseph Chen

The center also houses research instruments in its Functional Immunomics Core facility. The equipment supports research by the CCII faculty, the junior researchers and other investigators at the university. It houses a Helios CyTOF instrument and a Hyperion Imaging Mass Cytometry, among other resources. To date, investigators within the program have secured approximately $33 million in research grants made possible by the core.

As part of its next phase, the CCII plans to add a tumor organoid fragment culture platform. The platform uses human tumor specimens and mimics the human body environment for more precise testing.

View photos from the announcement on .

Support of TILs cell therapy

Half of this incredible investment in the Brown Cancer Center, $1.5 million, supports the TILs program by providing funding for research staff, supplies and faculty time dedicated to clinical trials. The goal is to increase capacity and access for participants in clinical trials for TILs and other immunotherapies.

The Brown Cancer Center is a lead enrolling center in TILs trials and has had patients travel to Louisville from all over the United States. The success of the program is directly related to the Gibbs Foundation initial investment of $1.5 million in 2022.

This philanthropic investment follows FDA approval of the cell product AMTAGVI (lifileucel), developed by Iovance Biotherapeutics for the treatment of melanoma patients. The Brown Cancer Center participated in these clinical trials leading to this FDA approval and is one of the first authorized treatment centers.

Although the initial FDA approval is specific to metastatic melanoma, the expansion of this cellular therapy to other cancers is being tested at Brown Cancer Center and elsewhere with a goal to obtain FDA approval in several solid tumor types in the future. Read more on the FDA approval in the .

Creation of Gibbs Pancreatic Cancer Research Program

Through $1.5 million over three years, the Gibbs Pancreatic Cancer Research Program will be created at the University of Louisville to support efforts in testing novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Five $50,000 pilot grants will be awarded to researchers each year for the development of novel therapeutics to treat pancreatic cancer and increase clinical trials dedicated to treating pancreatic cancer. This center will also provide funding for trial research staff and faculty time dedicated to these projects.

“The Gibbs Foundation is thrilled to be continuing our partnership with the Brown Cancer Center and the fight against cancer. Based on the positive outcomes of so many patients who have been through the TILs program, it is a battle we are winning,” said executive director of the Gibbs Foundation Hannah Roquet. “The creation of the Gibbs Pancreatic Cancer Research Program is especially meaningful as it continues the legacy of our founder, George Gibbs, who fought his own battle valiantly, and provides the opportunity for groundbreaking research in a cancer that has taken the lives of many too quickly and without warning.  We are looking forward to the future of this very special program.”

The Gibbs Foundation, Inc. was established in 2014 by George Gibbs of Louisville who died in 2022 of pancreatic cancer at age 87. The Gibbs Foundation previously supported health research at UofL through gifts of more than $2.5 million to create and expand the Gibbs Lung Research Program.

“The Brown Cancer Center has one goal – to end cancer,” said Jason Chesney, chief administrative officer and director of the Brown Cancer Center, who also serves as chief of the Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology at the UofL School of Medicine. “As more cancer centers across the country begin to implement TILs programs, we will be saving more lives. Through the philanthropy of the Gibbs Foundation, we continue to be one step closer to achieving this goal. Their dedication to finding a cure and increasing access to novel therapeutics is astounding.”

More information on TILs therapy and UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center is available at .

At this month’s Beer with a Scientist, Chesney, director of the UofL Brown Cancer Center, will share just how far those therapies have come in improving treatment of cancer.

Chesney will discuss cutting-edge approaches to stimulate the immune system to eradicate previously terminal cancers, focusing on treatments that stimulate white blood cells called T cells to kill cancer cells using antibodies and viruses. These immunotherapies are proving to be effective for multiple types of cancer.

“These novel immunotherapies are translating to previously terminal cancer patients having normal life spans,” Chesney said. “I believe we will experience a 25 percent decrease in cancer-related deaths in the next five years.”

Chesney’s talk begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17, at , 8023 Catherine Lane. A 30-minute presentation will be followed by an informal Q&A session.