Joyce Solheim, PhD - Professor
Eppley Cancer Institute
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Full Member
Area(s) of Emphasis:
Pediatric Cancer
Research Interests:
CCL21, Cell Signaling, Chemokine, Ewing's Sarcoma, Immunology, Immunotherapy, Neuroblastoma, Nanomedicine, Nanoparticles
Current Research Summary:
My laboratory has been involved in collaborative pediatric cancer research in several areas. The main areas of focus have been immunotherapy and nanomedicine. For our immunotherapy/nanomedicine research, we have principally used neuroblastoma cell and mouse models so far, but the immunological agent (nanoformulated CCL21) that we are testing is not neuroblastoma-specific, and so would be applicable to any type of pediatric tumor. Our immunotherapy nanoformulation also has the ability to boost the effectiveness of other immunotherapies, due to its ability to attract immune cells. In addition, we have investigated the function of a specific protein (amyloid precursor-like protein 2) in the evasion of immunity by Ewing's sarcoma cells and in pro-tumorigenic cell signaling in neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma cells.