Debra Bloom Email & Phone Number

I have a comprehensive background in immunology as it relates to cancer, transplantation, and autoimmunity. My expertise is in T lymphocyte suppression mechanisms and T cell assay development. My most recent employment was at Elephas Bio as a Senior Scientist on the Reasearch and Development team. There, I was involved in developing humanized mice with patient-derived tumor xenografts (PDX). My aim was to best achieve tumor microenvironments (TME) that reflected primary human tumors, gearing the TME to respond to a variety of immunotherapies. Throughout my career, I have developed a wide range of immune assays for clinical applications in cancer and solid organ transplantation. During my academic career, I uncovered a novel checkpoint (inhibitory) receptor on T cells called BAFF-R or BR3. Blockade of this receptor via antibody neutralization and shRNA down-modulation enhances the activation of CD4+ and CD8+ cytotoxic human T cells. Using the blocking antibody, the ability of CD4+ T cells to kill class II+ tumor cell lines is augmented. The mechanism(s) in play appear to be different than those of PD-1 and CTLA-4. These findings go against dogma for what is currently known about this receptor, and I hope that this will change the way we think about how it functions in immune disease. My goal is that someday this new method of inactivating tumor-mediated T cell suppression can assist in the global effort to eradicate hematologic and solid tumor malignancies.

Listed skills include Lymphocyte Tolerance, T Cell Assay Development, Stem Cells, Assay Development, and 28 others.