ABOUT DR. GEORGE COUKOS
Dr. George Coukos, M.D. PhD is a recognized global leader in ovarian cancer treatment and research. His research focus over the last several years has been on understanding the immune system's response to ovarian cancer, and on developing therapies, which enhance that response. His highly collaborative approach to working with other medical center teams both within the University of Pennsylvania and beyond on therapies for ovarian cancer is both innovative and prescient of future trends in new medical advances.
Dr. Coukos' work has shown that the presence of a particular type of immune cell (tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes) predicts the length of remission after chemotherapy and the overall survival of patients with ovarian cancer. This research provides the first proof that a spontaneous immune response against the tumor dramatically impacts the clinical course of ovarian cancer and provides hope that immune therapies may significantly prolong the response to chemotherapy and improve the survival of patients. Based on this observation,
Dr. Coukos, in collaboration with Drs. June and Powell, is developing adoptive T cell therapy for ovarian cancer. Dr. Coukos’ Laboratory discovered mechanisms of tumor immune evasion in ovarian cancer and are developing approaches to enhance tumor response to immune therapy. These approaches will be moved to the clinic within the next year.
Dr. Coukos’ laboratory is also engineering lymphocytes that recognize tumor vascular targets with the aim of attacking and destroying the tumor vasculature, which is crucial for tumor survival and growth beyond 2 to 3 millimeters.
In collaboration with Drs. Powell and June, the laboratories are engineering lymphocytes to redirect them against multiple tumor cell targets such as mesothelin, which is a mesothelioma, lung and ovarian tumor target, Folate Receptor which is an ovarian, lung and breast tumor target and Her2/neo which a breast and ovarian target. In this approach, lymphocytes are made capable of attacking tumor cells.
Dr. Coukos is also focusing on various aspects of ovarian cancer genomics, genetics, immunology and biology. Currently, Drs. Coukos and Scholler are investigating different aspects of the ovarian cancer microenvironment with emphasis on immune mechanisms. In collaboration with Dr. John Lambris they are investigating inflammation mechanisms affecting tumor growth. These are important as anti-inflammatory medications may provide important therapeutic opportunities and finally in collaboration with Dr. Lin Zhang, who is a pioneer in ovarian cancer genomics research, the two laboratories are investigating the role of miRNA alterations in ovarian cancer.
The current focus of Dr. Coukos’ laboratory is in the area of tumor immunology, immunotherapy and microenviroenment. He is developing whole tumor antigen vaccines and T cell therapy based on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in combination with therapy to modulate the tumor microenvironment. Another part of the lab focuses on tumor vasculature with the emphasis on developing vaccines and T cell therapy against tumor vasculature and also developing imaging and biomarkers for tumor early detection.
BACKGROUND & CREDENTIALS
George Coukos, MD, PhD, is the Celso Ramon Garcia Associate Professor of Reproductive Biology, Associate Chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, and Director, Ovarian Cancer Research Center, at the University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center. He is a member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Association for Cancer Research and the Society of Gynecologic Investigation. George received the Penn Medicine Award of Excellence in 2006, and has been recognized by Philadelphia Magazine "Top Doctors" in 2007 and 2008 and by Best Doctors in America 2007-2008.
George Coukos earned an M.D. degree (cum laude) from the University of Modena (Italy), and a Ph.D. (Reproductive Biology) from the University of Patras School of Medicine (Greece). After his Obstetrics and Gynecology residency, he studied the cell biology of the human trophoblast with C. Coutifaris and JF Strauss at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health. He completed a clinical fellowship in gynecologic oncology with Steve Rubin at the University of Pennsylvania.
For more information about Dr. George Coukos, please visit:
http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/obgyn/research/ovarian.htm