Dr Jeff Davies
Group Leader
Overview
My group works on developing novel approaches to improve efficacy and safety of allogeneic stem cell transplantation and adoptive immunotherapy as treatments for blood cancers. We focus on T-cell alloreactivity in the context of stem cell transplantation and immunotherapy.
Research
In the lab I focus on the development of novel approaches to improve efficacy and reduce toxicity of allogeneic HSCT and adoptive immunotherapy as treatments for blood cancers and other diseases.
We have a major interest in T-cell alloreactivity in the context of HSCT and immunotherapy. Current funded research projects include examination of the tissue-specific T-cell mediators of gastro-intestinal GvHD, use of new technologies to intergrate immune reconstition signatures after transplantation, epigenetic mechanism resulting in immune escape of cancer cells after transplant and limiting cancer antigen-specific T-cell responses and differential metabolism of alloreactive T cells.
I now combine my laboratory and translational research programme with clinical practice with the Cancer Centre at Barts Health, with specific emphasis on the lymphoma service and development of the allogeneic transplant/immunotherapy programmes and run a portfolio of clinical trials in GvHD. I led a successful bid in 2017 for Barts to be selected for funding as one of 10 UK transplant centres as part of a new IMPACT national HSCT clinical trials network.
Key Publications
Retinoic acid-responsive CD8 effector T-cells are selectively increased in IL-23-rich tissue in gastrointestinal GvHD. Blood (2021) 137(5):702-717. PMID: 32905596
Infusion of alloanergized donor lymphocytes after CD34-selected haploidentical myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Clin Cancer Res (2018) 24(17):4098-4109. PMID: 29769208
TNFRSF14 aberrations in follicular lymphoma increase clinically significant allogeneic T-cell responses. Blood (2016) 7;128(1):72-81. PMID: 27103745
Combining CD19 Redirection and Alloanergization to Generate Tumor-Specific Human T Cells for Allogeneic Cell Therapy of B-Cell Malignancies. Cancer Research (2010) 70(10):3915-24. PMID: 20424114
Expansion of allospecific regulatory T cells after anergized, mismatched bone marrow transplantation. Science Translational Medicine (2009) 1(1):1ra3. PMID: 20368155
See recent publicationsMajor Funding
- 2022-2025- Barts Charity Project Grant, ‘Exploiting regulatory NK cells to improve allogeneic stem cell transplantation,’ £210,212
- 2018-2021- Cancer Research UK, CRUK Clinical Award Training Cycle 4 – 2018, £512,000.00
- 2017-2020- William Harvey Research Limited, Identifying Mechanisms of Immune Escape that leads to Relapse of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation, £300,000
Other Activities
- British Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation member
- National Steering Committee Chair HLA-epitope matching and platelet transfusion study
- London Cancer Pathway board for lymphoma 2015
Biography
I developed my research interest during my MRC Clinical Research Training Fellowship at the Royal Free Hospital, London, where I studied ways to selectively deplete alloreactive donor T cells to reduce GvHD but maintain immune reconstitution after allogeneic HSCT. I was awarded the George Santos Award by the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation for the best clinical research by a young investigator for this research.
In 2006, I joined the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School as a junior faculty member in Medical Oncology. I performed translational research with Profs Lee Nadler and Eva Guinan using costimulatory blockade to induce allospecific anergy in donor lymphocytes, to reduce GvHD but preserve immune reconstitution and GvL effects after allogeneic HSCT.
During that time I also gained experience in other adoptive immunotherapy approaches to cancer treatment, and I was the recipient of a Career Development Award from the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Society and a New Investigator Award from the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.
In 2010 I joined the Centre for Haemato-Oncology in the Barts Cancer Institute as a Clinical Senior Lecturer funded initially as a Clinician Scientist by the MRC.
Qualifications
- MA (Oxon) Physiological Sciences First Class 1989
- BM BCh (Hons) (Oxon) 1992
- MRCP (UK) 1996
- MRCPath 2002
- PhD (University of London) 2005
- FRCPath 2008
Related News
Novel insights into graft-versus-host disease
Research led by Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, has identified a subset of immune cells involved in site-specific tissue damage in cancer patients who have developed harmful graft-versus-host disease after stem cell transplantation. The insights gained from the study may help to define new targets for more selective approaches to prevent or treat this condition in patients who have received a stem cell transplant.
General News 13 October 2020