Nicolas Çuburu, Ph.D.
- Center for Cancer Research
- National Cancer Institute
- Building 37, Room 4112
- Bethesda, MD 20892
- 240-760-6480
- cuburun@mail.nih.gov
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Dr. Nicolas Çuburu’s research interests include vaccines, cancer immunotherapy, T cell memory, and human papillomavirus. His studies focus on the development of vaccines against sexually transmitted infections and immunotherapeutic agents against intraepithelial neoplasia based on viral vectors and antiviral immunity. Dr. Cuburu has a Ph.D. in Immunology and Microbiology from the University of Nice-Cote d'Azur (Nice, France).
Areas of Expertise
Nicolas Çuburu, Ph.D.
Research
Dr Çuburu's research focuses on the development of vaccination and immunotherapeutic strategies based on human papillomavirus pseudovirions (HPV PsV), including the validation of protective antigens and the development of genetic adjuvants. His recent studies demonstrated that tissue-targeted immunization in prime-boost immunization regimen with HPV PsV could maximize the induction of circulating and cervicovaginal tissue resident memory CD8+ T cells. In parallel, under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, he extended these findings to prime-boost immunization with adenoviral vectors for therapeutic vaccination against HPV-induced neoplasia.
As a Staff Scientist at the Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, Dr Çuburu investigates tumor-targeted delivery of vaccines and immunotherapeutic agents in order to convert poorly immunogenic tumors into immunogenic tumors. Specifically, he investigates intratumoral delivery of cytomegalovirus viral antigens to redirect preexisting anti-viral T cells as a way to control tumor growth and to promote the induction of anti-tumor immunity or epitope spreading.
Publications
A Prime-Pull-Amplify Vaccination Strategy To Maximize Induction of Circulating and Genital-Resident Intraepithelial CD8+ Memory T Cells.
Adenovirus vector-based prime-boost vaccination via heterologous routes induces cervicovaginal CD8(+) T cell responses against HPV16 oncoproteins.
Moving forward with human papillomavirus immunotherapies.
Intravaginal immunization with HPV vectors induces tissue-resident CD8+ T cell responses.
Biography
Nicolas Çuburu, Ph.D.
Dr. Nicolas Çuburu received his B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Aix-Marseille University (Marseille, France) and his Master’s degree in Genetics and Immunology from the University Claude Bernard (Lyon, France). He earned a Ph.D. in Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Nice-Cote d'Azur (Nice, France), his thesis work in the lab of Dr Cecil Czerkinsky focused on sublingual vaccination. Dr Çuburu completed his training as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the International Vaccine Institute (Seoul, South Korea) focusing on vaccine immune monitoring. Dr Çuburu joined in 2008 the Laboratory of Cellular Oncology at NCI in the lab of Dr John Schiller as a Visiting Fellow then Research Fellow. In 2017, Dr Çuburu was appointed Staff Scientist. Dr Çuburu's research focuses on the development of viral vectors for vaccination against sexually transmitted infections and immunotherapy against intraepithelial neoplasia