Professor Irving Weissman, Stanford University

The Weissman lab research encompasses the phylogeny and developmental biology of the cells that make up the blood‐forming and immune systems. Among the multiple projects currently in progress is the characterization and targeting of novel cell‐surface proteins on cancer stem cells that enable them to evade the host's natural immune system. Successful targeting of these cell‐surface proteins with antibodies enable host innate immune cells, such as macrophages and dendritic cells, to eliminate cancer stem cells; a difficult feat with the traditional invasive treatments of chemotherapy, surgical removal and radiation . So far, mice engrafted with human neoplastic tissue have effectively been cleared of lymphomas, leukemia, breast and ovarian tumors using this antibody treatment, and a variety of other cancers are being tested as well. The Weissman lab has recently obtained CIRM funding to complete pre-clinical toxicity studies and prepare an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for the FDA in preparation for a Phase-1 clinical trial for the treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.