2025-2026 MCW Radiation Oncology Annual Report - Flipbook - Page 19
2025-2026 Medical College of Wisconsin, Radia琀椀on Oncology Annual Report
Transla琀椀onal Outcomes From the phase 1 clinical trial
Hypofrac琀椀onated Pre-opera琀椀ve Radia琀椀on Therapy for
HNSCC (HyPR-HN, NCT05120947) reported in Nature
Communica琀椀ons. With support from the MCW Cancer
Center Our Pa琀椀ent Project, the Himburg team led by first
author Dr. Joseph Zenga were able to develop an
ins琀椀tu琀椀onal pipeline for the analysis on-trial tumor
biopsies across radia琀椀on 琀椀mepoints for head and neck
squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) pa琀椀ents on the HyPRHN trial (PIs Awan, Zenga, Himburg). This study offered a
rare opportunity to track changes in the tumor-immune
microenvironment made possible by serial biopsies from
the same tumors up to 6 weeks post-radia琀椀on therapy.
The team made the surprising discovery that radia琀椀on
treatment remodeled the tumor microenvironment and
led to a marked, persistent abla琀椀on of tumor reac琀椀ve Tcells. This loss of tumor reac琀椀ve T-cells may provide a
cri琀椀cal clue in understanding why combina琀椀on
immunoradiotherapy has failed to improve disease
control outcomes in several recent large clinical trials in
HNSCC. Importantly, this finding enables the design of
new strategies for restoring or protec琀椀ng tumor-reac琀椀ve
T cells. These strategies are highlighted in a recent first
author publica琀椀on by MCW medical student Imaad Said.
One possible solu琀椀on is the focus of Dr. Musaddiq
Awan’s phase I INITIUM clinical trial to preserve T cell
priming and func琀椀onality by omi琀�ng elec琀椀ve nodal
irradia琀椀on (ENI).
Left, Lab members Jamie Foeckler and Anne Frei process HyPRHN trial samples. Right, medical student Abdullah Memon works
with Tiffany Raatz to assess microscopic alterations in the tumor
immune microenvironment.
Preclinical models to evaluate normal 琀椀ssue toxicity in
head and neck cancer pa琀椀ents. The Himburg lab is working with radia琀椀on oncologist Dr. Musaddiq Awan and
Dr. Kevin Rogacki to develop preclinical models which enable the tes琀椀ng of novel therapies for preven琀椀on of
common toxici琀椀es associated with head and neck cancer radiotherapy including xerostomia (dry mouth) and
osteoradionecrosis. This work is funded in part by a Cancer Center Idea Award.
Tracy Gasperetti, Rachel Kuehn, and Lily Stewart use CT imaging to evaluate
bone density changes in a preclinical osteoradionecrosis model.
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