I am responsible for the area of immune therapy of lymphoma. I have developed a xenogeneic DNA vaccine against the self antigen CD20, a protein expressed on the surface of B lymphocytes and lymphomas of B-cell origin, by using a truncated form of xenogeneic CD20 fused to an endoplasmic reticulum insertion sequence. The clinical trial of the vaccine is currently opened for enrollment. My current focus in the lab is to identify ways to generate a more efficient CD20 lymphoma vaccines, either by inserting strongly immunogenic heteroclitic epitopes within the native sequence or by combined modality of DNA vaccination and administration of adjuvant cytokines or antibodies. I will also be studying the mechanisms of the immune responses generated by the different combinations in order to identify the ones with the greatest potential to become an effective therapy for patients with lymphoma.