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Faculty Detail    
Name THERESA V STRONG
  
Campus Address KAUL 230 Zip 0024
Phone  (205) 934-9411
E-mail  tvstrong@uab.edu
Other websites
     


Faculty Appointment(s)
Appointment Type Department Division Rank
Primary  Genetics Chair Office  Genetics Chair Office Professor Adjunct
Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center Professor Adjunct

Graduate Biomedical Sciences Affiliations
Biochemistry and Structural Biology 
Cancer Biology 
Genetics and Genomic Sciences 
Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics 
Medical Scientist Training Program 

Biographical Sketch 
Theresa Strong, Professor of Medicine, received her B.S. in Biology from Cook College, Rutgers University in 1985. In 1989, she received a Ph.D. in Medical Genetics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She performed her postdoctoral work at the University of Michigan in the laboratory of Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D. There, her studies focused on understanding the molecular basis of the inherited diseases cystic fibrosis and Huntington disease. She joined the UAB faculty in 1995.

Society Memberships
Organization Name Position Held Org Link
American Association for Cancer Research     
American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy     
American Society of Human Genetics     
Association of Academic Biologics Manufacturers     
 



Research/Clinical Interest
Title
Identification of Tumor Antigens and Development of Cancer Vaccines
Description
Gene therapy technology offers new strategies to stimulate the immune system to recognize tumor associated antigens and mount an effective antitumor immune response. My laboratory has been investigating the use of a variety of nonviral and viral approaches for cancer immunotherapy. In addition, we have focused on the identification and characterization of novel tumor antigens, which may provide new targets for immunotherapy. I also serve as Director of UAB’s Vector Production Facility (VPF). The goal of the UAB VPF is to accelerate the translation of novel therapies into Phase I human clinical trials by manufacturing biologics in accordance with Good Laboratory Practices and current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). Vectors and biologics produced in the UAB VPF are used for FDA-directed preclinical safety and toxicity studies as well as early phase human clinical trials. A variety of VPF products, including adenoviral vectors, recombinant proteins, and imaging agents, have been used in early stage clinical trails. Services also include large scale, high quality research preparations of a variety of viral vectors (Ad, AAV, Lentivirus, HSV), cell banks, imaging molecules and recombinant proteins.

Selected Publications 
Publication PUBMEDID
Rosenthal EL, Warram JM, de Boer E, Chung TK, Korb ML, Brandwein-Gensler M, Strong TV, Schmalbach C, Morlandt A, Agarwal G, Hartman YE, Carroll W, Richman JS, Clemons L, Nabell LM, Zinn KR. Safety and Tumor-specificity of Cetuximab-IRDye800 for Surgical Navigation in Head and Neck Cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2015   25904751 
Pogue BW, Paulsen KD, Hull SM, Samkoe KS, Gunn J, Hoopes J, Roberts, DW, Strong TV, Draney D, Feldwisch J. Proceedings Report: Advancing molecular-guided surgery through probe development and testing in a moderate cost evaluation pipeline. Proc. SPIE 9311, Molecular-Guided Surgery: Molecules, Devices, and Applications.2015  25914500 
Zinn KR, Korb M, Samuel S, Warram JM, Dion D, Killingsworth C, Fan J, Schoeb T, Strong TV, Rosenthal EL. IND-Directed Safety and Biodistribution Study of Intravenously Injected Cetuximab-IRDye800 in Cynomolgus Macaques. Mol Imaging Biol. 2014   25080323 
Thacker EE, Nakayama M, Smith BF, Bird CR, Muminova Z, Strong T, Timares L, Korokhov N, O’Neill AM, de Gruiji TD, Glasgow JN, Tani K, and Curiel DT. A genetically engineered adenovirus vector targeted to CD40 mediates transduction of canine dendritic cells and promotes antigen-specific immune responses in vivo. Vaccine 27:7116-24, 2009  19786146 
Aldrich WA, Ren C, White AF, Zho S-Z, Kumar S, Jenkins CB, Shaw DR, Strong TV, Triozzi PL, Ponnazhagan S. Enhanced transduction of mouse bone marrow derived dendritic cells by repetitive infection with self-complementary adeno-associated virus 6 combined with immunostimulatory ligands. Gene Ther 13:29-39, 2006.  16136165 
Lima J, Jenkins C, Guerrero A, Triozzi PL, Shaw DR, Strong, TV. A DNA vaccine encoding genetic fusions of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating hormone (GM-CSF). Vaccine 23:1273-1283, 2005  15652670 
Triozzi PL, Strong TV, Bucy RP, Allen KO, Carlisle RR, Moore SE, LoBuglio AF, Conry RM. Intratumoral administration of a recombinant canarypox virus expressing interleukin-12 in patients with metastatic melanoma. Human Gene Ther 16:91-100, 2005  15455351 
Ponnazhagan S, Mahendra G, Lima J, Aldrich WA, Jenkins CB, Ren C, Kumar S, Kallman L, Strong TV, Shaw DR, Triozzi PL. Augmentation of antitumor activity of a recombinant adeno-associated virus carcinoembryonic antigen vaccine with plasmid adjuvant. Hum Gene Ther. 15:856-64, 2004.  15353040 
Muminova ZE, Strong TV, Shaw DR. Characterization of human mesothelin transcripts in ovarian and pancreatic cancer. BMC Cancer. 4:19, 2004.  15140265 
Straughn JM, Shaw DR, Guerrero A, Bhoola S, Racelis AS, Wang Z, Chiriva-Internati M, Grizzle WE, Alvarez RA, Lim S, Strong TV. Expression of sperm protein 17 (Sp17) in ovarian cancer. Int J Cancer 108:805-811, 2004.  14712480 
 

Keywords
gene therapy, immunotherapy, vaccine, Phase I clinical trials