Evaluation of innate immune response inhibition in Mucopolysaccharidosis IIIB
Name:
Dr. Coy Heldermon
Email
chelderm@ufl.edu
Phone
(352) 273-7497
Faculty Department/Division
Hematology & Oncology
This project is primarily:
Translational
Research Project Description:
Mice with MPS IIIB will be treated with drugs that inhibit innate immune activation and will have blood draws performed for serum collection to test for cytokine levels. They will also have hearing tested at 7-8 months of age and tissues harvested at two endpoints to determine if the drug affected immune infiltration and altered morphology
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No
Effect of Timing of First-Cycle Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Infusion on Survival Outcomes in Patients with Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Name:
Dr. Daniel Araujo
Email
daniel.araujo@ufl.edu
Phone
(352) 219-8250
Faculty Department/Division
Hematology & Oncology
This project is primarily:
Clinical
Research Project Description:
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed cancer care, and emerging retrospective data suggest that the time of day (ToD) of ICI administration may influence clinical outcomes, potentially through circadian regulation of antitumor immunity. However, given the long half-life of ICIs, it remains unclear whether this effect is driven primarily by the timing of the first infusion. We hypothesize that earlier ToD administration of the first cycle of ICI therapy is independently associated with improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). We will conduct a retrospective cohort study of patients treated with ICIs at UF Health, classifying first-cycle infusion timing as early versus late in the day (before vs after 12:00 PM) and also modeling timing as a continuous variable. Outcomes will include OS, PFS, treatment response, and immune-related adverse events, analyzed using Kaplan–Meier methods and multivariable Cox regression adjusting for key clinical covariates. The funded medical student will play an integral, mentored role in cohort identification, structured data abstraction, REDCap database management, data cleaning, and preliminary analyses, and will contribute to interpretation of results and manuscript preparation. Funding is requested solely to support the student’s protected research time, as no additional resources are required to conduct the study. This project addresses a timely, pragmatic question with potential to inform future prospective studies and optimize immunotherapy delivery, with planned dissemination through national meetings and peer-reviewed publication.
Does this project have an international component or travel?
No