Metelitsa, Leonid (Faculty Profile)

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Faculty Profile

Last Modified Time: 03:10:26 PM Thu, 28 Jan 2021

Contact Information
Leonid Metelitsa	Associated Profiles
Professor, Pediatrics, Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine


metelits@bcm.edu 832-824-4395 Web Link
Neuroblastoma, Solid Tumors, Immunotherapy, Natural Killer T-Cells, Interleukin-15, Immunologic Cytotoxicity, Adoptive Immunotherapy

Professional Preparation
Research and Expertise
Affiliations
Appointments

Professional Preparation

Degree	Major	Institution	Year
PhD		N.N. Blokhin Memorial Cancer Research Center of Russian Federation	1995
MD		Tver State Medical Academy	1992

Research and Expertise

Research Interests

Dr. Leonid Metelitsa's research focuses on understanding the role of Va24-invariant natural killer T (NKT) cells in tumor immunity and translating this knowledge into NKT cell-based cancer immunotherapies. His group was the first to demonstrate that NKT cells localize to primary tumors in human patients and that presence of these cells at the tumor site is associated with favorable outcomes in the clinic (Metelitsa et al, JEM, 2004). Further studies revealed the underlying mechanistic basis of NKT cell tumor localization and function in the tumor microenvironment (Song et al, JCI, 2007; Song et al, JCI, 2009; Liu et al, JCI, 2012).

Based on the knowledge gained from studying NKT cell immunobiology, the Metelitsa group has developed original technologies and processes for NKT cell isolation, genetic modification with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR), and ex vivo expansion to clinical scale (Heczey et al, Blood, 2014; Tian et al, JCI, 2016). These efforts have resulted in initiation of a first-in-human CAR NKT cell clinical trial, GINAKIT2 (NCT03294954), that will test NKTs expressing an optimized second-generation GD2-specific CAR in children with neuroblastoma.

Publications/Creative Works

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Affiliations

Research Consortia

Gulf Coast Consortia Immunology Cluster

Training Grants

The Cancer Therapeutics Training Program (CTTP)

Appointments

Title	Department / School	Institution
Professor	Pediatrics, Oncology	Baylor College of Medicine

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