mkorbelik@bccrc.ca

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Research Interests:

My laboratory is involved in pre-clinical studies aimed at improving therapy of solid cancers. A major focus is on the investigation of the mechanism of antitumor effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT). This novel type of cancer treatment (which is now a regulatory approved clinical modality) is still under intense development. The research in my laboratory has contributed to the understanding of photosensitizer (i.e. phototoxic drug used for PDT) accumulation in tumors, particularly the role of serum proteins, tumor vasculature and tumor associated macrophages in this event. Our work has shown that PDT treatment of solid cancers elicits a strong host response, which contributes to the therapy outcome. We are studying the role of the engaged inflammatory effector systems, including neutrophils, complement and coagulation/fibrinolytic cascades.

We have also provided a direct evidence of the induction of tumor immunity by PDT and demonstrated that PDT can be effectively potentiated by adjuvant immunotherapy. A major interest in my research is the immunotherapy of solid cancers, especially as the modality combined with PDT for effective tumor cures. We are investigating a number of different immunotherapy agents, including cytokines and macrophage activating factors, as well as adoptively transferred T lymphocytes and NK cells. The strategy of tumor localized delivery of immune agents by gene transfection is also being pursued in our work. A major emerging application in this filed is the production of PDT-generated cancer vaccines. The observations leading to this development include our finding that a localized injection of tumor cells treated in vitro by PDT results in growth retardation and even cures of established tumors of the same origin. We have identified the induced activation of complement as one of the major factors responsible for the unique effectiveness of such vaccines.