W. Martin Kast , PhD Professor Born 1958 in Haarlem, The Netherlands, Married 1983 to Sylvia Kast-Ferkranus,
Three children; 1988 Dieuwertje J. Kast, 1991 Hinde R. Kast, 1995 Harold M. Kast. Graduate student 1983-1987 University of Amsterdam, Postdoctoral Fellow 1987-1990 Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Assistant Professor 1990-1991 University of Leiden, Associate Professor 1991-1996 University of Leiden, Visiting Senior Scientist 1992-1993 Cytel Corp. San Diego, CA, Visiting Professor 1994 University of Pittsburgh, PA, Professor 1996-2003 Loyola University Chicago, Interim Director 2002-2003 Oncology Institute Loyola University Chicago, Professor 2003-Present University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. Permanent Resident USA since 1998, President Chicago Association of Immunologists 1999-2001, Section Editor Leukemia 1999-2001, Editorial Board HPV Today 2002-Present, Associate Editor Cancer Research 2004-Present, Founder and Chairman of the Board The Tul(i)p, the First Dutch Language School in Chicagoland 1996-1999, Member/Chairman of the Board Dutch School Los Angeles 2004-Present. Research Interests
My research is focused on developing new and effective therapies for cervical cancer, prostate cancer and melanoma. These cancers express unique tumor-specific or tumor-associated antigens to which my lab directs T cell immune responses via DNA, RNA, protein or peptide based vaccines or by retroviral mediated transfer of T cell receptors. Vaccine components are delivered in their native form, by dendritic cells, by alpha viruses or by chimeric human papillomavirus virus-like-particles. This clinically oriented research is backed up by pre-clinical and basic research in both normal and transgenic animal models and in laboratory studies on patient material. Results from the pre-clinical studies have led to a variety of clinical trials for which I am the immunological coordinator.
Therapeutic vaccinations of cancer patients or cancer bearing animals are hampered by a variety of tumor immune escape mechanisms. My basic science research has recently identified some new mechanisms for such escapes that are induced by the activated ras oncogene and the cell fate determinant notch 1 and is exploring ways to counteract these escape mechanisms by pharmacological and immunotherapeutic means (multimodality treatment). Chances for successful immunotherapy of human cancer will also increase by the identification of new tumor (-associated) genes, antigens and epitopes and by understanding the basic biology of dendritic cells and Langerhans cells and the basic immunology of cancer causing viruses and therefore my lab also focuses on that.
A variety of techniques including advanced cell culture, cellular immunology including cytofluorometry, molecular biology, immunochemistry and immunohistology is being used in my research. Overall the research in my lab will lead to a fundamental understanding of virus-host interactions, antigen presentation, tumor-immune system interactions and the design of effective immunotherapeutic approaches for the above mentioned cancers and possibly other types of cancer. Other Research Interests - Cancer Vaccines
- Cancer Immunotherapy
- Tumor Immunology
- Tumor Immune Escape Mechanisms
- Viral Immunology
Clinical Interests
My lab is involved in the design of new cancer immunotherapy strategies and therapeutic cancer vaccines. In addition, through the Beckman Center for Immune Monitoring, my lab performs campus wide and as a national reference center the analyses of immune responses of patients that are being treated with biological response modifiers, immunotherapy and therapeutic vaccine approaches. Other Clinical Interests - Cancer Vaccine Trials
- Cancer Immunotherapy Trials
Degrees
University of Amsterdam, PhD, 1987
University of Amsterdam, MS, 1983
University of Amsterdam, BS, 1980
Fellowships
Senior Fellow, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. , 1991 - 1996
Postdoctoral Fellow, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands., 1987 - 1990
Awards
Member 2006 Education Committee of the AACR
Member Dept of Defense Study Section: Prostate Cancer Program, 2003
Chicago Magazine Best Hospital Guide Listing Innovative Cervical Cancer Res., 2000
Member NIH Study Section Experimental Immunology, 1998
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Career Award, 1991
Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Research Award, 1991
MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS |
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Memberships
International Papillomavirus Society
American Association for Cancer Research
American Association of Immunologists
Dutch Society of Immunology
Cancer Vaccine Consortium
Selected Publications Fausch SC, Fahey LM, Da Silva DM and Kast WM: HPV can escape immune recognition through Langerhans cell PI3-kinase activation, J Immunol 174: 7172-7178, 2005.
Fausch SC, Da Silva DM and Kast WM: Heterologous Papillomavirus virus-like particles and human papillomavirus virus-like particle immune complexes activate human Langerhans cells. Vaccine 23, 1720-1729, 2005.
Cassetti MC, McElhiney SP, Shahabi V, Pullen JK, Le Poole IC, Eiben GL, Smith LR and Kast WM: Antitumor efficacy of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Replicon particles encoding mutated HPV16 E6 and E7 genes. Vaccine, 22:520-527, 2004.
Fausch SC, Da Silva DM and Kast WM: Differential uptake and cross-presentation of human papillomavirus virus-like particles by dendritic cells and Langerhans cells. Cancer Res, Advances in Brief, 63:3478-3482, 2003.
Weijzen S, Zlobin A, Braid M, Miele L and Kast WM: HPV16 E6 and E7 oncoproteins regulate Notch-1 expression and cooperate to induce transformation. J. Cell Physiol, 194:356-362, 2003.
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