Research Summary

- Development of gene therapy, oncolytic virotherapy, and immunotherapy strategies for translational application to cancer
- Development of genetic engineering strategies for translational application to transplantation and regenerative medicine.

Research Funding

  • August 1, 2017 - July 31, 2022 - Retroviral Replicating Vector-mediated Gene Therapy for Ovarian Cancer, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA213119
  • August 1, 2019 - July 31, 2021 - GALV-Based Retroviral Replicating Vectors for Glioma Gene Therapy, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R21NS104454
  • July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2014 - Stem cell-based carriers for RCR vector delivery to glioblastoma, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), Sponsor Award ID: TR2-01791
  • June 1, 2010 - May 31, 2014 - Translational Development of Replication-Competent Retrovirus Vectors, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: U01NS059821

Education

  • Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan, MD, 1986, Medicine
  • University of California, San Francisco, Residency, 1993, Laboratory Medicine
  • University of California, San Francisco, PhD, 1994, Endocrinology

Honors & Awards

  • 1994
    Tokyo Medical and Dental University Alumni Association, Young Investigators Research Award
  • 1995
    University of California San Francisco, Chancellor Julius R Krevans Distinguished Dissertation Award
  • 1996
    Board Certification in Clinical Pathology, American Board of Pathology
  • 1996
    Stop Cancer Foundation, Career Development Award
  • 1998
    Cooley's Anemia Foundation, New Investigator Award
  • 2006
    Clinical Impact Award, Global Life Science Innovation Competition, UCSF/QB3

Selected Publications

  1. Haddad AF, Young JS, Mummaneni NV, Kasahara N, Aghi MK Immunologic aspects of viral therapy for glioblastoma and implications for interactions with immunotherapies.  View on PubMed
  2. Chuntova P, Chow F, Watchmaker P, Galvez M, Heimberger AB, Newell EW, Diaz A, DePinho RA, Li MO, Wherry EJ, Mitchell D, Terabe M, Wainwright DA, Berzofsky JA, Herold-Mende C, Heath JR, Lim M, Margolin KA, Chiocca EA, Kasahara N, Ellingson BM, Brown C, Chen Y, Fecci P, Reardon DA, Dunn GP, Liau LM, Costello JF, Wick W, Cloughesy T, Timmer WC, Wen PY, Prins RM, Platten M, Okada H Unique challenges for glioblastoma immunotherapy - Discussions across neuro-oncology and non-neuro-oncology experts in cancer immunology.  View on PubMed
  3. Montoya ML, Kasahara N, Okada H Introduction to immunotherapy for brain tumor patients: challenges and future perspectives.  View on PubMed
  4. Chen SH, Sun JM, Chen BM, Lin SC, Chang HF, Collins S, Chang D, Wu SF, Lu YC, Wang W, Chen TC, Kasahara N, Wang HE, Tai CK Efficient Prodrug Activator Gene Therapy by Retroviral Replicating Vectors Prolongs Survival in an Immune-Competent Intracerebral Glioma Model.  View on PubMed
  5. Rodriguez-Blanco J, Li B, Long J, Shen C, Yang F, Orton D, Collins S, Kasahara N, Ayad NG, McCrea HJ, Roussel MF, Weiss WA, Capobianco AJ, Robbins DJ A CK1a Activator Penetrates the Brain and Shows Efficacy Against Drug-resistant Metastatic Medulloblastoma.  View on PubMed
  6. Kubo S, Takagi-Kimura M, Tagawa M, Kasahara N Dual-vector prodrug activator gene therapy using retroviral replicating vectors.  View on PubMed
  7. Cloughesy TF, Landolfi J, Vogelbaum MA, Ostertag D, Elder JB, Bloomfield S, Carter B, Chen CC, Kalkanis SN, Kesari S, Lai A, Lee IY, Liau LM, Mikkelsen T, Nghiemphu P, Piccioni D, Accomando W, Diago OR, Hogan DJ, Gammon D, Kasahara N, Kheoh T, Jolly DJ, Gruber HE, Das A, Walbert T Durable complete responses in some recurrent high-grade glioma patients treated with Toca 511 + Toca FC.  View on PubMed
  8. Kubo S, Takagi-Kimura M, Kasahara N Efficient tumor transduction and antitumor efficacy in experimental human osteosarcoma using retroviral replicating vectors.  View on PubMed
  9. Inoko K, Hiraoka K, Inagaki A, Takahashi M, Kushibiki T, Hontani K, Takano H, Sato S, Takeuchi S, Nakamura T, Tsuchikawa T, Shichinohe T, Gruber HE, Jolly DJ, Kasahara N, Hirano S Therapeutic activity of retroviral replicating vector-mediated prodrug activator gene therapy for pancreatic cancer.  View on PubMed
  10. Yagiz K, Rodriguez-Aguirre ME, Lopez Espinoza F, Montellano TT, Mendoza D, Mitchell LA, Ibanez CE, Kasahara N, Gruber HE, Jolly DJ, Robbins JM A Retroviral Replicating Vector Encoding Cytosine Deaminase and 5-FC Induces Immune Memory in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Models.  View on PubMed
  11. Hiraoka K, Inagaki A, Kato Y, Huang TT, Mitchell LA, Kamijima S, Takahashi M, Matsumoto H, Hacke K, Kruse CA, Ostertag D, Robbins JM, Gruber HE, Jolly DJ, Kasahara N Retroviral replicating vector-mediated gene therapy achieves long-term control of tumor recurrence and leads to durable anticancer immunity.  View on PubMed
  12. Mitchell LA, Lopez Espinoza F, Mendoza D, Kato Y, Inagaki A, Hiraoka K, Kasahara N, Gruber HE, Jolly DJ, Robbins JM Toca 511 gene transfer and treatment with the prodrug, 5-fluorocytosine, promotes durable antitumor immunity in a mouse glioma model.  View on PubMed
  13. Qin Y, Takahashi M, Sheets K, Soto H, Tsui J, Pelargos P, Antonios JP, Kasahara N, Yang I, Prins RM, Braun J, Gordon LK, Wadehra M Epithelial membrane protein-2 (EMP2) promotes angiogenesis in glioblastoma multiforme.  View on PubMed
  14. Shah AH, Jusué-Torres I, Ivan ME, Komotar RJ, Kasahara N Pathogens and glioma: a history of unexpected discoveries ushering in novel therapy.  View on PubMed
  15. Cicciarelli JC, Lemp NA, Chang Y, Koss M, Hacke K, Kasahara N, Burns KM, Min DI, Naraghi R, Shah T Renal Transplant Patients Biopsied for Cause and Tested for C4d, DSA, and IgG Subclasses and C1q: Which Humoral Markers Improve Diagnosis and Outcomes?  View on PubMed
  16. Kozlowska AK, Tseng HC, Kaur K, Topchyan P, Inagaki A, Bui VT, Kasahara N, Cacalano N, Jewett A Resistance to cytotoxicity and sustained release of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in the presence of decreased interferon-? after differentiation of glioblastoma by human natural killer cells.  View on PubMed
  17. Cloughesy TF, Landolfi J, Hogan DJ, Bloomfield S, Carter B, Chen CC, Elder JB, Kalkanis SN, Kesari S, Lai A, Lee IY, Liau LM, Mikkelsen T, Nghiemphu PL, Piccioni D, Walbert T, Chu A, Das A, Diago OR, Gammon D, Gruber HE, Hanna M, Jolly DJ, Kasahara N, McCarthy D, Mitchell L, Ostertag D, Robbins JM, Rodriguez-Aguirre M, Vogelbaum MA Phase 1 trial of vocimagene amiretrorepvec and 5-fluorocytosine for recurrent high-grade glioma.  View on PubMed
  18. Campagna MV, Faure-Kumar E, Treger JA, Cushman JD, Grogan TR, Kasahara N, Lawson GW Factors in the Selection of Surface Disinfectants for Use in a Laboratory Animal Setting.  View on PubMed
  19. Lin AH, Liu Y, Burrascano C, Cunanan K, Logg CR, Robbins JM, Kasahara N, Gruber H, Ibañez C, Jolly DJ Extensive Replication of a Retroviral Replicating Vector Can Expand the A Bulge in the Encephalomyocarditis Virus Internal Ribosome Entry Site and Change Translation Efficiency of the Downstream Transgene.  View on PubMed
  20. Tseng HC, Inagaki A, Bui VT, Cacalano N, Kasahara N, Man YG, Jewett A Differential Targeting of Stem Cells and Differentiated Glioblastomas by NK Cells.  View on PubMed

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