Robert H. Wiltrout was born September 13, 1950 in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. He received a B.A. degree from Kutztown University, PA in 1972, a M.S. in Microbiology from the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA in 1975, and a Ph.D. in Immunology from the Wayne State University Medical School, Detroit, MI in 1979. He was awarded a United States Public Health Services fellowship in 1979 and performed postdoctoral studies at the NIH in the Laboratory of Immunodiagnosis with Dr. Ronald B. Herberman. In 1981, he received an ICRETT Technology Transfer Award for study at Queens University in Kingston Ontario, Canada and also became a Staff Fellow in the newly formed Biological Response Modifiers Program at the National Cancer Institute-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, (NCI-FCRDC), Frederick, MD. In 1983, he was promoted to Senior Staff Fellow in the Laboratory of Molecular Immunoregulation at the NCI-FCRDC and was awarded a tenured Senior Investigator position in the Laboratory of Experimental Immunology in 1986. Also in 1986, he was promoted to Head of the Experimental Therapeutics Section of the Laboratory of Experimental Immunology at the NCI-FCRDC. Dr. Wiltrout is a member of numerous societies, including the American Association of Immunology, the American Association of Cancer Research, the Society for Leukocyte Biology, and the Society for Biological Therapy. During his career he has been Visiting Professor of Immunology at the University of Rome, Rome, Italy, served on the Editorial Board for The Journal of Leukocyte Biology, served as a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee for Immunology of the American Cancer Society, received a Special Service Award for NCI, NIH in 1988, and awards for outstanding service from the Biological Response Modifiers Program, National Cancer Institute in 1987, 1988, 1991, and 1993. He is the holder of three patents in the area of immune response and hematopoietic regulation. He has been an organizer and/or plenary speaker at numerous national and international symposia in the areas of biological therapy of cancer and regulation of hematopoiesis. He is the author of more than 130 scientific publications.
The mechanisms by which the immune system can be induced to mediate tumor regression in vivo are complex and remain poorly understood. In particular, it is becoming evident that immune-dependent rejection of tumors can involve an interaction between classical immune mechanisms (such as activated effector cells, regulation of TH1 vs TH2 responses, apoptotic factors and appropriate leukocyte recruitment) with other non-immune processes such as tumor angiogenesis and tissue-specific physiological processes. Dr. Wiltrout's current studies focus on the multiple immune and non-immune antitumor mechanisms induced by IL-12 and the ability of IL-2 to potentiate the effects of IL-12 against transplantable murine renal cancers and autochthonous murine mammary cancers (collaboration with Dr. Jeffrey Green, DBS, NCI). These studies involve an evaluation of the in vivo regulation of endogenous IL-12 and IL-12R expression in various leukocyte subsets, the regulation and function of dendritic cells in tumor-bearing mice, the role of chemokine mediators, and the regulation of anti-neovascular effects. In collaboration with Dr. Robert Fenton (DCS,NCI), Dr. Wiltrout also is studying the ability of cytokine-gene modified replication defective vaccinia viruses to serve as therapeutic agents against established local or disseminated tumors, and as vaccine adjuvants in the setting of established cancers. These studies will provide new insight into the regulation of immune responses and how immune and non-immune antitumor mechanisms may be used to circumvent downregulated leukocyte functions in tumor-conditioned hosts.
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Updated: July 1, 1996