Joseph D. Rosenblatt is a Professor of Medicine in the department of Hematology/Oncology from The University of Miami Health System Joseph D. Rosenblatt is a Professor of Medicine in the department of Hematology/Oncology from The University of Miami Health System

In the past 20 years, Dr. Rosenblatt's work focused on human retroviruses, immune therapies for cancer and human gene therapy. Current work is directed to development of novel immune therapy and gene therapy strategies for breast and other cancers. The lab investigates the potential role of recruitment of immune effector cells that elaborate constitutive and inflammatory chemokines on the development of an anti-tumor response and the role of chemokines delivered alone or in combination with expression of the costimulatory ligands CD80 (B7.1) or CD40L. Several delivery strategies have been investigated, including the use of use of Herpes Simplex virus amplicon vectors in several murine tumor models. The Herpes Simplex amplicons are also being tested for efficacy in augmenting the immunogenicity of malignant cells. Novel methods of immune effector molecule delivery, which involve delivery by antibodies of a costimulatory molecule, anti-angiogenic peptide or a chemokine are also under investigation. Antibody fusion proteins targeting the human breast cancer her2/neu antigen, linked to the extracellular domains of T-cell costimulatory ligands and /or chemokines have been synthesized and are being tested for their in vitro ability to bind to cognate antigenic targets and to deliver a local costimulatory signal or chemotaxis signal. A novel therapeutic, that fuses the anti-angiogenic peptide endostatin to anti-her2/neu antibody, shows excellent efficacy in preclinical models. Currently, Dr. Rosenblatt is using a novel B-cell deficient mouse model to test antibody fusion protein targeting to xenogeneic (e.g. CEA, her2/neu) antigens, while preserving T-cell immune effector functions. The B cell deficient model has also demonstrated enhanced TH1 T cell responses to tumor compared to those seen in the immunocompetent mouse.