Jonathan M. Weiss, Ph.D.

Jonathan M. Weiss, Ph.D.
Staff Scientist
Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism

Team Member of:

Daniel W. McVicar, Ph.D.

Dr. Weiss is investigating the mechanisms whereby combinations of cytokines and other immune-modulating drugs, such as anti-CD40, result in the eradication of tumors. Principally, he is interested in understanding the mechanisms of leukocyte recruitment into the tumor microenvironment and the responses by these tumor-infiltrating leukocytes as they relate to tumor progression and/or metastases.

Areas of Expertise

1) immunotherapy, 2) leukocytes

Contact Info

Jonathan M. Weiss, Ph.D.
Center for Cancer Research
National Cancer Institute
Building 560; Room 31-45
Frederick, MD 21702-1201
Ph: (301) 846-5394
Fax: (301) 846-1673
weissjo@mail.nih.gov

Combination-based immunotherapies may more effectively activate cells of both innate and adaptive immune responses. Using an orthotopic mouse model of renal cell carcinoma (RENCA), I am investigating the mechanisms whereby combinations of cytokines and other immune-modulating drugs, such as anti-CD40, result in the eradication of tumors. Principally, I am interested in understanding the mechanisms of leukocyte recruitment into the tumor microenvironment and the responses by these tumor-infiltrating leukocytes as they relate to tumor progression and/or metastases.

Selected Publications

  1. Regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the tumor microenvironment undergo Fas-dependent cell death during IL-2/αCD40 therapy.
    Weiss JM, Subleski JJ, Back T, Chen X, Watkins SK, Yagita H, Sayers TJ, Murphy WJ, Wiltrout RH
    J Immunol. 192: 5821-9, 2014. [ Journal Article ]
  2. CD40 expression in renal cell carcinoma is associated with tumor apoptosis, CD8(+) T cell frequency and patient survival.
    Weiss JM, Gregory Alvord W, Quiñones OA, Stauffer JK, Wiltrout RH
    Hum Immunol. 75: 614-20, 2014. [ Journal Article ]
  3. Macrophage-dependent nitric oxide expression regulates tumor cell detachment and metastasis after IL-2/anti-CD40 immunotherapy.
    Weiss JM, Ridnour LA, Back T, Hussain SP, He P, Maciag AE, Keefer LK, Murphy WJ, Harris CC, Wink DA, Wiltrout RH
    J Exp Med. 207: 2455-67, 2010. [ Journal Article ]
  4. Successful immunotherapy with IL-2/anti-CD40 induces the chemokine-mediated mitigation of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
    Weiss JM, Back TC, Scarzello AJ, Subleski JJ, Hall VL, Stauffer JK, Chen X, Micic D, Alderson K, Murphy WJ, Wiltrout RH
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 106: 19455-60, 2009. [ Journal Article ]
  5. Delineation of antigen-specific and antigen-nonspecific CD8(+) memory T-cell responses after cytokine-based cancer immunotherapy.
    Tietze JK, Wilkins DE, Sckisel GD, Bouchlaka MN, Alderson KL, Weiss JM, Ames E, Bruhn KW, Craft N, Wiltrout RH, Longo DL, Lanier LL, Blazar BR, Redelman D, Murphy WJ.
    Blood. 119: 3073-83, 2012. [ Journal Article ]

Jonathan Weiss received his Ph.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1998, where he studied the role of chemokines and cellular adhesion molecules in mediating leukocyte transmigration across the human blood-brain barrier with Dr. Joan Berman. He was then a postdoc with Dr. Leslie Parise at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where he studied the molecular regulation of platelet aggregation. He continued his postdoctoral training at the University of Virginia with Dr. Alan Horwitz, where he utilized a high-throughput screening strategy to screen for novel molecular regulators of cell adhesion and migration. After that, he spent three years as a research scientist at MaxCyte, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the electroporation of DNA and siRNA into primary hematopoietic cells. His research there demonstrated the enhanced anti-tumor response through ex vivo loading of dendritic cells with whole tumor lysate. In 2005, he joined the Cancer and Inflammation Program where his current research focuses on the immunotherapy of renal cell carcinoma by combination cytokine therapy.