Overview

Under the direction of principal investigator Januario E. Castro, M.D., the Cancer Research and Cellular Therapies Laboratory studies advanced cellular therapies for cancer, with a particular emphasis on hematological malignancies. Our lab also collaborates on research projects involving solid tumors.

The mission of the Cancer Research and Cellular Therapies Lab is to take cellular therapies to the next level.

Our lab is working to improve existing cancer treatments, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, and investigating new treatment targets, including alternative splicing mechanisms and epitope spreading.

Our laboratory aims to improve clinical outcomes and patient care through collaborative efforts both at Mayo Clinic and other institutions and through the application of translational research, moving our findings from the lab to the clinic.

Special areas of research interest include:

  • Cellular therapy
  • Immunotherapy
  • Acute and chronic leukemias
  • Lymphomas
  • Myeloma
  • Translational hematology and oncology

The Cancer Research and Cellular Therapies Lab is based at Mayo Clinic's campus in Phoenix, Arizona.

About Dr. Castro

In addition to acting as the lab's principal investigator, Dr. Castro is the director of the Adoptive Cellular Therapy CAR-T Cell Program at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Dr. Castro's research focuses on hematological malignancies and on developing new targets for CAR-T cell therapies. He's also involved in the Mayo Clinic Enterprise Cellular Therapy Biobank and the Mayo Clinic Cancer Registry. As a senior associate consultant in hematology and oncology, Dr. Castro also treats patients at Mayo Clinic.