Malcolm Brenner
Encyclopedia
Malcolm K. Brenner is a British clinical scientist working mostly in the field of gene therapy
and immunotherapy
applied to malignancy.
He was educated at Forest School London and Emmanuel College, Cambridge
England. He received his medical degree and subsequent Ph.D. from Cambridge University
, England
. In the 1980s, he left the UK to work in St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
in Memphis
.
There, he conducted one of the first human gene therapy studies when he transduced bone marrow
stem cell
s with a retroviral vector with the intention of marking them to study their survival and fate. This seminal study demonstrated that engrafted bone marrow stem cells contribute to long-term hematopoiesis and also that contaminating tumor cells in autografts can cause relapse
.
More recently, his group has become interested in the genetic-modification of T-cells for cancer
therapy, cancer vaccine
s and monoclonal antibodies
.
He was President of the International Society for Cellular Therapy and President of the American Society of Gene Therapy
in 2002 - 2003. He was appointed Editor in Chief of the journal Molecular Therapy in 2009 .
He is currently Director of the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine
, Houston, Texas
and serves as a faculty member for the Texas Children's Cancer Center
at Texas Children's Hospital
.
Also, he roots dolphins.
Gene therapy
Gene therapy is the insertion, alteration, or removal of genes within an individual's cells and biological tissues to treat disease. It is a technique for correcting defective genes that are responsible for disease development...
and immunotherapy
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a medical term defined as the "treatment of disease by inducing, enhancing, or suppressing an immune response". Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as activation immunotherapies. While immunotherapies that reduce or suppress are...
applied to malignancy.
He was educated at Forest School London and Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
England. He received his medical degree and subsequent Ph.D. from Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In the 1980s, he left the UK to work in St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1962, is a leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a nonprofit medical corporation chartered as a 501 tax-exempt organization under IRS regulations.In...
in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
.
There, he conducted one of the first human gene therapy studies when he transduced bone marrow
Bone marrow
Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the interior of bones. In humans, bone marrow in large bones produces new blood cells. On average, bone marrow constitutes 4% of the total body mass of humans; in adults weighing 65 kg , bone marrow accounts for approximately 2.6 kg...
stem cell
Stem cell
This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
s with a retroviral vector with the intention of marking them to study their survival and fate. This seminal study demonstrated that engrafted bone marrow stem cells contribute to long-term hematopoiesis and also that contaminating tumor cells in autografts can cause relapse
Relapse
Relapse, in relation to drug misuse, is resuming the use of a drug or a dependent substance after one or more periods of abstinence. The term is a landmark feature of both substance dependence and substance abuse, which are learned behaviors, and is maintained by neuronal adaptations that mediate...
.
More recently, his group has become interested in the genetic-modification of T-cells for cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
therapy, cancer vaccine
Cancer vaccine
The term cancer vaccine refers to a vaccine that either prevents infections with cancer-causing viruses, treats existing cancer or prevents the development of cancer in certain high risk individuals...
s and monoclonal antibodies
Monoclonal antibodies
Monoclonal antibodies are monospecific antibodies that are the same because they are made by identical immune cells that are all clones of a unique parent cell....
.
He was President of the International Society for Cellular Therapy and President of the American Society of Gene Therapy
American Society of Gene Therapy
American Society of Gene Therapy is a professional non-profit medical and scientific organization dedicated to:# understanding, development and application of gene, related cell and nucleic acid therapies;...
in 2002 - 2003. He was appointed Editor in Chief of the journal Molecular Therapy in 2009 .
He is currently Director of the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine, located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, USA, is a highly regarded medical school and leading center for biomedical research and clinical care...
, Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and serves as a faculty member for the Texas Children's Cancer Center
Texas Children's Cancer Center
Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers is the largest pediatric oncology and blood disease center in the United States. U.S. News & World Report ranked the cancer center #1 in Texas and #4 in the United States. It is located in Houston, Texas....
at Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital is a pediatric hospital located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas.With 639 licensed beds and 465 beds in operation, Texas Children's is the largest children's hospital in the United States and is affiliated with the Baylor College of Medicine as that...
.
Also, he roots dolphins.