Scott Gerber, PhD
Associate Professor & Co-Director; Center for Tumor Immunology Research | University of Rochester Medical Center
Departments of Surgery, Microbiology/Immunology, & Radiation Oncology
Project Title: Novel Neoadjuvant Therapy for Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adnocarcenoma (PDAC) Patients
Project Description: Dr. Gerber’s laboratory has developed a combined therapy consisting of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) followed by the Immunotherapeutic IL-12 treated locally using mRNA technology. He predicts that when used with chemotherapy/radiation/hormone therapy, this will prepare the immune system to protect against metastatic recurrence following surgical removal of the primary tumor. Future plans will translate these findings into a clinical trial for PDAC patients eligible for surgical removal.
Dr. Gerber’s Bio
Dr. Scott Gerber is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery and Co-Director of the Center for Tumor Immunology Research at the University of Rochester Medical Center with over two decades of experience as a tumor immunologist.
After completing his PhD in Immunology at the University of Rochester, New York, in 2005, Dr. Gerber undertook a three-year postdoctoral position at Yale University, before returning to the University of Rochester.
The majority of Dr. Gerber’s research has been focused on developing novel pancreas cancer therapies, and his major interest is in overcoming tumor-induced immune suppression and enhancing the efficacy of radiotherapy treatment. His team has recently identified a highly promising combination of therapies, using a targeted radiotherapy treatment and intertumoral injection with an immune-modulating cytokine technology that, if successful in human trials, will result in a vast improvement in treating or extending survival, which is currently exceptionally low, of pancreatic cancer patients.