The CIIC is a collaborative grouping of around 30 academic and clinical research groups that draws on research expertise in four centres across the University of Birmingham.
The groups are collectively focused on developing tumour immunology research and translating their discoveries into practical improvements in cancer treatment.
Underpinning all research within CIIC is the need to translate research findings into improvements in current cancer treatments and/or improvements in quality of life for patients during treatment.
Cancer-targeted immunotherapies, both cellular and antibody-mediated, are poised to deliver transformative improvements in cancer treatment. Fundamental research in the CIIC is focussed on three key themes, each addressing fundamental issues in tumour immunology.
One focus is on identifying and characterising recognition of tumour antigens, and a second on understanding and therapeutically manipulating the tumour microenvironment. In a third theme, CIIC members are carrying out pre-clinical studies on a wide range of immunotherapeutic strategies, including new T cell targeting, vaccination, antibody-based, and chemotherapy-based approaches, with the ultimate aim of advancing these novel therapeutic concepts into clinical trials.
