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Researcher Spotlight




Researcher Spotlight: Christopher Sauter, MD

PERELMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies work by harnessing the power of T cells to kill lymphoma cells through a variety of cytotoxic mechanisms that are coordinated simultaneously. Although these therapies have revolutionized the treatment of chemotherapy resistant B-cell lymphomas, many patients treated with CAR T cells will eventually relapse as their cancer becomes resistant to the antitumor activities of these agents. In order to prevent CAR T-cell resistance, Dr. Sauterā€™s research is aimed at quantifying how much each of the different cytotoxic activities contributes to antitumor activity. ā€œThis understanding will unveil how resistant tumors may evade T-cell killing by dampening one or multiple discrete CAR T-cell pathways,ā€ he explains. ā€œWe can leverage this knowledge to engineer CAR T cells with more potent cytotoxic potential to efficiently clear resistant tumor cells.ā€

Dr. Sauter earned his medical degree from Emory University in Atlanta, GA. He is currently completing a hematology and oncology fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, with the goal of developing a career as a physician scientist. ā€œI was drawn to lymphoma research because it represents the forefront of translating scientific knowledge into actionable therapies for patients,ā€ he says. He is excited about the rapid pace of research in the field of lymphoma therapy and how it has changed the treatment of patients. ā€œThe goal post has shifted beyond achieving better ā€˜median overall survivalā€™ and is now selecting which therapy will achieve the best cure, best quality of life, and minimize time spent in the hospital or physicianā€™s office.ā€

Building on his experiences as an LRF Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Sauter hopes to create a new framework for understanding how immunotherapies work, with the goal of fueling the development of a next generation of safer and more effective options. ā€œI am a believer in the synergy derived from the bench-to-bedside and bedside-back-to bench research cycle,ā€ he says. ā€œAs a physician scientist, the resonance between the clinical and research realms allows for more innovative and meaningful investigation.ā€

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