Overview
At Rutgers Cancer Institute's Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence, our work is advancing cancer care into the future. With a focused and targeted approach to research and treatment, we are bringing patients with cancer new hope in situations where there previously was none.
For decades, the cornerstones of cancer treatment were surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. In recent years, immunotherapy has risen to become the capstone. Immunotherapy involves harnessing the power of the body’s own immune system to fight cancer cells. There are several immunologic therapies currently used to treat many different types of cancer, some with great success. However, while some cancers respond well to immunotherapy, others do not respond at all. Our mission is to find out why.
Rutgers Big Ideas: The Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence
Dr. Steven Libutti, Director, Rutgers Cancer Institute, discusses the Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence and its importance as one of Rutgers University's Big Ideas in this video.
Mission
We believe the intricacies of cancer metabolism hold the key to explaining why some tumors don't respond and providing treatment for those previously unresponsive tumors. Discovering and manipulating the cancer cell’s inner workings and exploiting its weaknesses, along with powering the body’s own immune cells to fight cancer, all provide the blueprint for the future in cancer treatment.
Rutgers is examining CAR T-cell technology, which involves using a patient’s T cells (cells within the normal immune system that fight infections in the body) to target and kill cancer cells in the body. This technique has proven highly effective in treating blood cancers. Our cutting-edge research involves identifying how this type of cell therapy may work in treating other, more common types of cancer in addition to blood cancers. We are finding out what makes cancer grow, and how to manipulate its own processes to stop cancer from growing and spreading.
Rutgers Cancer Institute’s Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence is at the intersection of oncologic immunology and metabolism, and seeks to unite these under one umbrella to:
- Increase research that leads to new therapies for patients
- Develop cutting-edge facilities to test new interventions
- Facilitate commercial and university collaborations
- Bring forth a new day in cancer research
Related News
A Stellar Partnership: Mission (no longer) Impossible
The Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence at Rutgers Cancer Institute is a groundbreaking collaboration between clinical and scientific specialties supporting cancer immunology research across many types of cancer. The new treatments based on these discoveries are being offered at Rutgers in first-in-human clinical trials.
Immunotherapy Clinical Trials: Sue Scott’s Story of Survival
An inside look at a Center for Cancer Research trial with Dr. Christian Hinrichs and his patient, Sue Scott.
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Is Immunotherapy the next big breakthrough?
From Jersey's Best: Immunotherapy is a promising development in the fight against cancer, but the practice has not yet reached its full potential.
How a clinical trial cured cancer — in some cases
From The Pulse: A researcher’s experience as a patient motivated him to find cures. He focused on cancers caused by the human papillomavirus.
Find Out More
- For more information about our clinical trials call 732-235-7356 or search for a clinical trial.
- Learn more about employment opportunities.
- If you are interested in supporting the Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence at Rutgers Cancer Institute, please contact the Rutgers Cancer Institute Development Office at cinjdevelopment@ruf.rutgers.edu.