Immunology

The Immunology department at MD Anderson Cancer Center seeks to determine the fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms of a wide range of processes by which the body recognizes and eliminates pathogens and use these findings to unleash the patient’s own immune system against previously treatment-resistant cancers. Treating the immune system rather than the cancer itself, the therapeutics developed are applicable to many cancers.

Work in the department spans multiple components of the immune system, ranging from the innate immune response, by which the body recognizes defined components of common pathogens and initiates a response, to the specialized and highly regulated adaptive immune response, comprised of T cell and B cell responses. The combination of treatments that work on multiple aspects of the immune system maximizes the potential to eliminate the most treatment-resistant cancers.