
Rachel McCaffrey, M.D.
- Assistant Professor of Surgery
Rachel McCaffrey, M.D.
- Assistant Professor of Surgery
rachel.mccaffrey@Vanderbilt.Edu
Research Program
Research Description

Ryan Merrell, MD
- Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology
Ryan Merrell, MD
- Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology
ryan.merrell@vumc.org
Research Program
Research Description

Douglas Kojetin, PhD
- Associate Professor of Biochemistry
Douglas Kojetin, PhD
- Associate Professor of Biochemistry
douglas.kojetin@Vanderbilt.Edu
2200 Pierce Avenue, 842/846 RRB
Nashville, TN 37232
Nashville, TN 37232
Research Program

Gary Smith, MD
- Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences
- Chief, Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT, Nashville Veterans Administration Medical Center
Gary Smith, MD
- Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences
- Chief, Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT, Nashville Veterans Administration Medical Center
gary.t.smith@vumc.org
1161 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37232
Nashville, TN 37232
Research Program
Marcus Dillender, PhD
- Assistant Professor of Medicine, Health, and Society
Marcus Dillender, PhD
- Assistant Professor of Medicine, Health, and Society
marcus.o.dillender@Vanderbilt.Edu
Research Program
Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a cancer of the blood's plasma cells ( blood cell). The cancer is
typically found in the bones and bone marrow (the spongy tissue inside of the bones) and can
cause bone pain, fractures, infections, weaker bones, and kidney failure. Treatments are
available, but MM can come back (relapsed) or may not get better (refractory) with treatment.
This is a study to determine adverse events and change in disease symptoms of ABBV-383 in
adult participants with relapsed/refractory (R/R) MM.
ABBV-383 is an investigational drug being developed for the treatment of R/R Multiple Myeloma
(MM). This study is broken into 2 Arms; Arm A (Parts 1 and 2) and Arm B. Arm A includes 2
parts: step-up dose optimization (Part 1) and dose expansion (Part 2). In Part 1, different
level of step-up doses are tested followed by the target dose of ABBV-383. In Part 2, the
step-up dose identified in Part 1 (Dose A) will be used followed by the target dose A of
ABBV-383. In Arm B a flat dose of ABBV-383 will be tested. Around 120 adult participants with
relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma will be enrolled at approximately 30 sites across the
world.
Participants will receive ABBV-383 as an infusion into the vein in 28 day cycles for
approximately 3 years.
There may be higher treatment burden for participants in this trial compared to their
standard of care. Participants will attend regular visits during the study at a hospital or
clinic. The effect of the treatment will be checked by medical assessments, blood tests,
checking for side effects and questionnaires.
Nanotechnology repaves the path for cancer-fighting T cells
Vanderbilt researchers are bolstering the fight against cancer with technology that enhances the effectiveness of T cells that attack tumors.
The investigational drug to be studied in this protocol, BCA101, is a first-in-class compound
that targets both EGFR with TGF. Based on preclinical data, this bifunctional antibody may
exert synergistic activity in patients with EGFR-driven tumors.
Better adenoma detection
Fluorescent nanoparticles clearly identified colonic adenomas precursors to colorectal cancer in mice and the formulation should translate to clinical use in humans.
This phase II trial compares the effect of usual treatment of docetaxel chemotherapy plus trastuzumab, to ado-emtansine (T-DM1) in patients with HER2-positive salivary gland cancer that has come back (recurrent), that has spread from where it first started (primary site) to other places in the body, or cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). Trastuzumab is a form of targeted therapy because it works by attaching itself to specific molecules (receptors) on the surface of cancer cells, known as HER2 receptors. When trastuzumab attaches to HER2 receptors, the signals that tell the cells to grow are blocked and the cancer cell may be marked for destruction by body's immune system. Trastuzumab emtansine contains trastuzumab, linked to a chemotherapy drug called emtansine. Trastuzumab attaches to HER2 positive cancer cells in a targeted way and delivers emtansine to kill them. Docetaxel is in a class of medications called taxanes. It stops cancer cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Trastuzumab emtansine may work better compared to usual treatment of chemotherapy with docetaxel and trastuzumab in treating patients with recurrent, metastatic or unresectable salivary gland cancer.