The University of Arizona announced April 6 that the Phoenix Bioscience Core will be the site of the new UArizona Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies. You can read an excerpt of the announcement below.

Phoenix will soon be the home of the Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies, a new University of Arizona Health Sciences center focused on developing biological therapies that stimulate or suppress the immune system to fight disease.

The Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies, or CAMI, will be a hub to advance knowledge of the immunology of cancers, infectious diseases and autoimmune conditions to develop novel strategies for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases.

“Our expertise in basic science, translational medicine and investigator-initiated clinical trials will allow the University of Arizona Health Sciences to lead the nation in advanced immunotherapies research,” said Michael D. Dake, MD, University of Arizona Health Sciences senior vice president. “We believe the Phoenix Bioscience Core is the perfect location to allow us to bring together world-class faculty, clinical researchers and internationally recognized thought leaders to catalyze the next generation of precision health care treatments.”

CAMI will serve as the anchor for an innovation district that aims to differentiate Phoenix from other emerging life sciences hubs, establishing the Phoenix Bioscience Core as a center of cell and gene therapy research, startup activity and corporate engagement.

The center will have four areas of research focus: cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases and real-time immune system monitoring. Immunotherapy is one of the most promising approaches to cancer treatment, as it has the potential to sidestep the effects of therapies that can compromise patients’ long-term health and wellness. Classic immunotherapies such as vaccines already are being tested for some types of cancers, while the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted vaccines’ continued importance in a world threatened by emerging pathogens.