Magdalena Thurin, Ph.D.
Dr. Thurin joined the DCTD in 2001 as a Program Director. Her major focus has been on development and validation of biomarkers for clinical application in cancer.
Dr. Thurin plays a central role in the Cancer Immune Monitoring and Analysis Center and Immunological Data Commons (CIMAC-CIDC) Network jointly with the Public Private Partnership (PACT) supported by the NCI and industrial partners via the Foundation for NIH (FNIH).
CIMAC-CIDC-PACT Network focus is on correlative study in over 40 clinical trials in immunotherapy. The Network generates comprehensive profiles of tumor, tumor microenvironment, and host, using state-of-the art multiparametric approaches to identify biomarkers of response, resistance, and toxicity. The Network contributes to publicly accessible database of clinically annotated immune oncology biomarker data in the NCI Cancer Research Data Commons (CRDC).
Her research at The Wistar Institute focused on the structural and functional characterization of carbohydrate antigens (Ag) in cancer. These studies succeeded in identification of multiple antigens including the first glycolipid tumor-associated antigen, sialyl Lewis A (SLea), known as CA19-9 for monitoring of pancreatic and colon cancer.
The SLea antigen is detected by the serological assay CA 19–9 that has been approved by the FDA to manage patients with pancreatic cancer and monitor their therapeutic responses and disease progression.
Dr. Thurin significantly contributed to the initiative to promote and incorporate ‘Immunoscore’ into routine clinical settings, providing prognostic and predictive tumor agnostic biomarker to define immune fitness of a tumor and stratify patients who will benefit from immune therapies.
She has authored over 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals.
Education
- Ph.D. and M.S., Biochemistry, University of Warsaw, Poland
- Postdoctoral training at the Wistar Institute of Anatomy & Biology, Philadelphia, PA