Jonathan Cohen, MD, PhD
Project Title
Peptide Inhibition of SLAMF6: A Novel Treatment for immune checkpoint inhibitor induced colitis
About the Investigator
Dr. Cohen is a physician-researcher and head of the clinical research unit at the Sharett Institute of Oncology. He is a senior medical oncologist, specializing in melanoma and cancer immunotherapy as well as gastro-intestinal malignancies. Dr. Cohen has extensive experience employing cancer-immunotherapy including cellular therapies and handling their toxicities from which his keen interest in advancing novel solutions for these arise. Dr. Cohen serves as principal investigator on many clinical trials. Dr. Cohen holds a PhD in neuroscience and leads a research group investigating cancer immunology. His research interests include immunology of brain metastases, immunotherapy toxicity, peptide immune-modulation and others.
About the Research
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are a form of cancer treatment that activate the patients’ immune-system to act against the tumor. These are highly successful, extend survival and at times can cure cancer. ICIs can lead to unwanted side effects where the immune-system acts against healthy organs leading to inflammation and damage; one such side effect is severed inflammation of the bowel named “colitis”. These toxicities often require treatments such as cortico-steroids that have their own unwanted effects and might reduce the effectiveness of the anti-cancer therapy.
We developed a short peptide called pSL6, drug candidate, for which we filed a patent, that in the dish can dampen the immune -system through a protein called SLAMF6. We showed in mice that it can alleviate bowel inflammation. We believe this might be used to more safely treat the toxicities of ICI. In this study we will test the activity of pSL6 in a mouse model of ICI colitis; determine its activity, required dose and its mechanism of action. We will investigate pSL6 effect on samples obtained from the bowels of cancer patients who developed ICI colitis to further establish its relevance as a drug candidate for cancer patients.
At the culmination of this study, we believe we will validate pSL6 as a new drug candidate to alleviate cancer patients side effects while maintaining treatment efficacy.
