Education
Education
University Appointment
Associate Professor
Anatomy, Pathology and Cell Biology
Thomas Jefferson University
Research and Clinical Interests
Drs. Brody, Witkiewicz, and Kennedy have developed a core research group focused on immunologic aspects of pancreatic cancer. Recently we discovered that Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase (IDO) was upregulated in pancreatic ductal adenomcarcinoma cells as well as in cancer cells residing in the lymph nodes. With our collaborations with Dr. Liz Jaffee at Johns Hopkins and Drs. Steve A Rosenberg at the NCI and Dr. Prendergast at LIMR, we would like to combine IDO inhibitors with a vaccine trial here at Jefferson. Moreover, our group is set up with clinicians (Drs. Yeo and Kennedy) and researchers (Dr. Brody) to perform the pre-clinical work and clinical work needed to move these initiatives forward. Dr. Brody’s experience of having been trained by Dr. Rosenberg and Drs. Baldwin and Pasternack at Johns Hopkins and also having spent 2 years in the immunology program at Johns Hopkins has provided him with solid immunologic technical skills in the laboratory. Dr. Witkiewicz isolated, characterized and manipulated human dendritic cells and performed ex vivo enhancement of dendritic cells for immunotherapy of AML at the Mayo clinic. Dr. Witkiewicz is an experienced pathologist that has a special interest in the role immune tolerance has on solid tumor development. Further, our group is now developing humanized antibodies against Prostate Stem Cell Antigen (PSCA) for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. In short, the inclusion of Drs. Brody, Witkiewicz, and Kennedy will provide an excellent resource for us researching and developing new strategies against pancreatic cancer as well as to communicate and cross-talk with other groups with similar goals in other tumor systems
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Agnieszka K. Witkiewicz, MD