Suite 320A
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 955-8874
Most Recent Peer-reviewed Publications
- Multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of seviprotimut-L polyvalent melanoma vaccine in patients with post-resection melanoma at high risk of recurrence
- Efficient killing of tumor cells by CAR-T cells requires greater number of engaged CARs than TCRs
- A phase II study of the insulin-like growth factor type I receptor inhibitor IMC-A12 in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma
- First-in-Human Phase I Study of Merestinib, an Oral Multikinase Inhibitor, in Patients with Advanced Cancer
- Split tolerance permits safe Ad5-GUCY2C-PADRE vaccine-induced T-cell responses in colon cancer patients
Medical School
Jichi Medical University, Japan - 1980
Residency
Oita Prefectural Hospital, Japan
Fellowship
Jichi Medical University, Japan
Board Certification
Internal Medicine
Medical Oncology
Pediatrics
Hospital Appointment
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Methodist Hospital Division of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
University Appointment
K. Hasumi Endowed Professor
Director, Metastatic Uveal Melanoma Program
Research & Clinical Interests
Medical Oncology, Melanoma, Skin Cancer, Uveal Melanoma, Ocular Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy
As director of the Metastatic Uveal Melanoma Program at Jefferson, Dr. Sato heads one of the few programs in the United States treating melanoma originating in the eye. Although uveal melanoma is the most common adult eye tumor, the disease is very rare, affecting only six or seven people per one million. This cancer commonly spreads to the liver, and patients who do not receive treatment live an average of six months. Dr. Sato has devoted his career to improving understanding of this disease and developing new treatments, particularly for patients who are not eligible for surgery.
Dr. Sato’s studies focus on cancer immunotherapy, or the use of the immune system to fight cancer. His clinical trials involving a procedure called immunoembolization have shown promising results.
In immunoembolization, a chemical to stimulate patients’ immune systems is administered to the hepatic artery that feeds the liver tumor and then the artery is blocked, cutting off oxygen to tumors and keeping the injected medicine in the tumor. In one trial, one-third of patients had tumor shrinkage, and another third experienced no tumor growth. Dr. Sato is building on these outcomes as he continues to examine methods of treating uveal melanoma and delaying its progression.