Accomplishments

1. Brainstorming, cross-fertilization, and idea sharing within the NCI vaccine community.
2. Consensus on issues, such as identification of tumor antigens and determination of relevant and effective assays for evaluating immunologic responses to cancer vaccines, approaches to immunization, and monitoring of disease.
3. Identification of infrastructural needs for vaccine trials.
4. Recommendations for phase II clinical trial design for vaccine trials (published in J. Clin. Oncol. 19:1848-54, 2001).
5. Facilitation of novel phase III cancer vaccine trials coordinated by the intramural program. A subcommittee met and reviewed plans and two phase III trials have commenced.
6. Reorganization and oversight of the central NCI contract with SAIC for monitoring immunologic responses.
7. Interactions with CGAP to develop strategy to mine the CGAP database to identify potential new tumor antigens.
8. Interactions with the Clinical Proteomics group of Lance Liotta and Chip Petricoin to apply a proteomic approach to identify new tumor antigens.
9. Interactions with other intramural faculties and working groups to promote mutual interests.