Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University launches the Cellular Therapy Initiative to accelerate next-generation cancer treatments through research, manufacturing and clinical trials.
Cellular therapy has moved from a promising concept to one of the most consequential advances in modern oncology. Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University is launching a new initiative to help drive the field forward.
Co-led by Gregory Lesinski, PhD, MPH, and Chrystal Paulos, PhD, the Winship Cellular Therapy Initiative brings together infrastructure, expertise and vision to advance the development of therapies that harness the power of living cells to treat cancer.
Gregory Lesinski, PhD, MPH, Chrystal Paulos, PhD, and John West, PhD
The initiative pairs two scientists who have spent their careers moving discoveries out of the laboratory and into patients. Lesinski, a tumor immunologist, has built a nationally recognized program defining how the tumor microenvironment suppresses immune responses in melanoma, pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancers — work that has translated directly into several investigator-initiated clinical trials. Paulos, a nationally recognized T cell immunologist, has spent two decades innovating adoptive T cell therapies for solid tumors, with pivotal discoveries in T cell differentiation, T helper–B cell interactions and costimulation that have shaped how the field builds engineered cell therapy products. They have published extensively together, hold three funded grants from the NIH and private foundations and have co-mentored trainees who now lead programs of their own. Over the past several years, Lesinski and Paulos have catalyzed relationships across collaborative translational research teams, culminating in two cellular therapies that are now positioned for investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies.
“Cellular therapy is one of the most promising areas in cancer research today,” says Lesinski, scientific co-director of the initiative, associate director for basic research and shared resources at Winship and the John Kauffman Family Professor for Pancreatic Cancer Research at Emory University School of Medicine. “Our goal is to make Winship a hub where new ideas in cellular therapy that stem from Winship laboratories can move more quickly toward treatments that make a real difference for patients in Georgia and beyond.”
“Winship has brought together an extraordinary group of scientists and clinicians working to understand how immune cells recognize and eliminate cancer,” says Paulos, scientific co-director of the initiative, co-leader of Winship’s Cancer Immunology Program and the David H. Lawson Professor for Cancer Research at Emory University School of Medicine. “We already have many talented investigators developing innovative cellular therapies across the institution. As the initiative matures, it will provide the infrastructure, expertise and collaborative support to build a robust pipeline of home-grown therapies and move the most promising discoveries toward patients who need better treatment options.”
Cellular therapy uses a patient's own T cells to recognize and neutralize cancer. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy expands polyclonal T cells already resident in the tumor, allowing them to attack multiple antigens at once. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T and T cell receptor (TCR)–engineered therapies instead take T cells from the blood and genetically redirect them to a single defined target. Together, these approaches are expanding treatment possibilities for blood cancers and, increasingly, solid tumors.
A collaborative pipeline for discovery
Following the recruitment of nationally recognized experts and significant investments in cellular therapy infrastructure, Winship has reached an inflection point in its ability to advance the field.
The initiative is based within the Cancer Immunology Program, reflecting its close scientific alignment with immunotherapy research. At the same time, it will serve as a unifying platform across Winship’s research programs as well as with strategic partners throughout the broader cellular therapy community.
Expanding GMP manufacturing capacity and expertise
Translating promising concepts into clinical-grade therapies requires specialized manufacturing capabilities, and the people who know how to build them. Winship’s cellular and viral therapy manufacturing facility will provide the technology and expertise needed for Winship to develop and manufacture its own investigational cell, viral and immunotherapy products.
The facility is led by technical director John West, PhD, who brings more than a decade of experience in cell therapy and virus manufacturing. West previously served as director of cellular therapy production at the University of North Carolina, where he grew the manufacturing operation from four staff to 17, treated more than 225 patients across 16 active clinical trials, and co-led the facility through its first FACT accreditation, which was completed with zero deficiencies. His expertise spans viral vector production, CAR T manufacturing, cGMP operations and early-phase clinical translation.
At Winship, West leads a team of six specialists with advanced knowledge of manufacturing, process development and regulatory procedures. The current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP)-compliant facility will support investigational new drug (IND) development, translational research and early-phase clinical trials. West will work closely with Lesinski and Paulos, along with other investigators at Winship looking to advance cell therapy concepts into the clinic.
“Having access to this level of manufacturing capability within Winship provides a unique advantage for our investigators,” says West. “It creates greater opportunity for collaboration and helps streamline the path to move home-grown cellular therapies from discovery to clinical testing.”
Located in the Emory University Hospital tower with an additional consultation site in Emory Clinic Building B, the facility places manufacturing expertise alongside the Winship research and clinical teams studying these new therapies.
Supporting innovation at every stage
Researchers are already advancing innovative cellular therapy approaches at Winship, including novel CAR T-cell and TIL therapies for patients with cancer. The initiative is expected to increase opportunities for investigator-led research and create clearer pathways for developing new therapies and translating them into clinical trials.
The initiative will also invest in the next generation of cellular therapy leaders. In partnership with Winship’s Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) core, the initiative plans to provide training experiences for clinical residents and fellows, postdoctoral fellows and doctoral students in cellular therapy clinical trials, manufacturing techniques, regulatory processes and translational research.
Other components of the initiative include dedicated pilot funding, scientific seminar series and symposia designed to foster collaboration and support future innovators in the field.
Building the future of cellular therapy
The initiative is expected to strengthen Winship’s competitiveness for federal funding, expand its portfolio of clinical trials, attract new strategic partnerships and support recruitment of top faculty and trainees. Most importantly, it has the potential to improve outcomes and expand treatment options for patients.
“The ultimate goal is to build a self-sustaining cellular therapy ecosystem that drives impactful discovery, innovation and collaboration,” says Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, FACP, FASCO, executive director of Winship, the Roberto C. Goizueta Distinguished Chair for Cancer Research and professor of hematology and medical oncology at Emory University School of Medicine. “With the world-class expertise and infrastructure that exist across our institution, we have an opportunity to develop therapies that could transform cancer care for years to come.”