Cleveland Clinic's ROBIN Center could pave the way for more effective radiation and immunotherapy treatments

Cleveland Clinic's ROBIN Center could pave the way for more effective radiation and immunotherapy treatments

Cleveland Clinic received a five-year, $7.9 million grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health to form one of three national centers as part of the newly formed Radiation Oncology-Biology Integration Network (ROBIN).

Timothy Chan, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology, will serve as principal investigator of Cleveland Clinic's ROBIN Center, which will study the molecular mechanisms and biology of response to radiation therapy and the effectiveness of radiation and immunotherapy combinations for bladder cancer and head and Throat cancer.

Radiation therapy is a cornerstone of cancer treatment, with about two out of three cancer patients receiving it. However, despite its widespread use, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms and biology of the response to radiation remains poor. The ROBIN Center will allow us to develop more effective radiation and immunotherapy combinations and better understand how these approaches work.”

Dr. Timothy Chan, MD, Ph.D., chair of the Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology

In collaboration with Emory University, Cleveland Clinic researchers and clinicians will lead the trials with the goal of developing new approaches to cancer treatment by improving understanding of the drivers of effectiveness. Specifically, the team will investigate radiation therapy in combination with antibody-drug conjugates and immune checkpoint inhibitors.

A multidisciplinary team from the fields of radiation oncology, radiation biology and radiation physics will enable a continuous exchange of information. Additionally, the creation of a cross-training workforce development program will help build a pipeline of scientists in radiation biology, radiation physics and clinical radiation oncology.

The ROBIN Center will leverage Cleveland Clinic's large patient volume to generate comprehensive molecular data, providing critical information that allows physicians to select the best treatment for each patient.

“Precision cancer medicine is the future of cancer treatment,” said Dr. Chan. “The ROBIN Center leverages the power of Cleveland Clinic's translational research strengths and world-class patient care, where we have the opportunity to continually learn from innovative treatment techniques by bringing findings back to the research laboratory for further study and then sharing our discoveries with others.” Enabling physicians to push the boundaries of patient care.”

Omar Mian, MD, Ph.D., radiation oncologist at Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute and investigator at Lerner Research Institute, and Shilpa Gupta, MD, director of genitourinary medical oncology at Taussig Cancer Institute and co-leader of the genitourinary oncology program will be one of the molecular characterization studies lead, which focuses on combining a targeted therapy, sacituzumab, plus radiation to treat bladder cancer. A cohort of this study will also take place at Cleveland Clinic's Florida Research and Innovation Center, led by Anatoly Nikolaev, MD, Ph.D.

A second clinical trial examining the effectiveness of treating recurrent head and neck cancer with radiation therapy and nivolumab is being led by Shlomo Koyfman, MD, a radiation oncologist at Taussig Cancer Institute.

Deidentified patient samples from patients receiving current standard of care and patients participating in clinical trials are collected and stored at the Cleveland Clinic BioRepository, a 22,000 square foot facility on Cleveland Clinic's main campus managed by Azenta Life Sciences and facilitates precision medicine biobanking through sample collection, Transportation and integrated tracking.

Dr. Chan's lab will analyze the samples to generate data using multiple genetic analyses. The breadth and depth of data generated will provide comprehensive insights into radiation-based cancer treatment strategies. In another of the funded projects in ROBIN, Jacob Scott, MD, D.Phil., radiation oncologist and head of theory in the Lerner Research Institute's Division of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, will use artificial intelligence to decipher the temporal dynamics of all the complex changes that occur as a result of treatment.

“The ROBIN study will provide the necessary data to ultimately advance precise cancer medicine that ultimately delivers the best outcomes for every patient and helps improve quality of life,” said Dr. Chan.

This study is funded in part by study sponsors Varian and Gilead Sciences and Brian and Diana Taussig.

Source:

Cleveland Clinic