Lilit Karapetyan, MD, MS is a Hematology and Oncology fellow at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center/Hillman Cancer Center. During her training as a research scholar at Case Western Reserve University she solidified my interest in translational research, interventional clinical trials and tumor immunology. She acquired a solid foundation in biostatistics and epidemiology through her master’s degree in clinical research design and statistical analysis. As a TIIL member, she is actively involved in clinical research via designing clinical trials including radiation and immunotherapy combinations and conducting translational work of evaluating biomarkers for immunotherapy response. Baseline elevated Interleukin-8 levels are associated with poor overall survival in patients with many tumor types raising the need to implement treatment targeting Interleukin-8. We proposed a phase I trial of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy with nivolumab and anti-Interleukin-8 therapy to determine the safety, preliminary efficacy and molecular impact of this combination in patients with advanced solid tumors. This project will significantly impact the treatment of patients with advanced solid tumors who have baseline elevated Interleukin-8 levels and are resistant to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. The biological analyses proposed in this project will enhance understanding of the molecular impact of this treatment, role of radiotherapy, and use of serum Interleukin-8 as biomarker to guide immunotherapy choice in clinical practice. 

Karapetyan L, Luke JJ, Davar D. Toll-Like Receptor 9 Agonists in Cancer. Onco Targets Ther. 2020 Oct 9;13:10039-10060. doi: 10.2147/OTT.S247050. PMID: 33116588