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John E. Harris, MD, PhD

Research Focus - Using Vitiligo Pathogenesis to Develop Novel Insights into Better Approaches for Melanoma Immunotherapy

  • Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease of the skin that results in melanocyte destruction
  • Vitiligo patients have a 3-fold lower risk of developing melanoma
  • Melanoma immunotherapy using checkpoint inhibitors frequently induces vitiligo, which indicates a better response to treatment
  • We have acquired a thorough understanding of vitiligo pathogenesis, and we are using these insights to develop targeted melanoma immunotherapies
 

Representative Publication

Fakuda K, Okamura K, Riding RL, et al. AIM2 regulates anti-tumor immunity and is a viable therapeutic target for melanoma. J Exp Med. 2021;218(9):e20200962.

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In the News

Getting Results…
  • Six new endowed chairs named at UMass Chan Medical School

    Six new endowed chairs named at UMass Chan Medical School

    These highly accomplished faculty members have been appointed to endowed chairs at UMass Chan Medical School: Dale L. Greiner, PhD; Danny G. Winder, PhD; Elinor K. Karlsson, PhD; Jeannette M. Wolfe, MD; J. Kevin Donahue, MD; and John E. Harris, MD, PhD’05.

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  • UMass Chan BRIDGE Fund invests nearly $2M in 13 faculty projects

    UMass Chan BRIDGE Fund invests nearly $2M in 13 faculty projects

    The BRIDGE Fund supports critical research milestones for inventions and discoveries that have high potential to change the course of disease and continues to grow, increasing from approximately $1 million per year in 2019 to $3 million in 2024.

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  • Clinical study aims to identify early molecular and biological signatures of vitiligo

    Clinical study aims to identify early molecular and biological signatures of vitiligo

    John E. Harris, MD, PhD, and Manuel Garber, PhD, will lead a $3.75 million NIH clinical study at UMass Chan Medical School to identify potential preclinical genetic, molecular and biological signatures that may predispose patients to developing vitiligo.

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  • Craig Ceol receives NIH grant to study melanocyte regeneration

    Craig Ceol receives NIH grant to study melanocyte regeneration

    Craig Ceol, PhD, has received a grant from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to fund research on cellular and molecular regulators of melanocyte regeneration using zebrafish as a model.

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  • UMass Cancer Center funds five UMass Chan research projects

    UMass Cancer Center funds five UMass Chan research projects

    The UMass Cancer Center Pilot Project Program has awarded seed grants to five UMass Chan Medical School research projects to enable investigators to gather pilot data for external cancer-focused funding.

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  • John Harris appointed chair of dermatology

    John Harris appointed chair of dermatology

    John Harris, MD, PhD, one of the nation’s foremost authorities on the treatment and study of vitiligo, has been appointed chair of the Department of Dermatology beginning Jan. 1.

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  • John Harris receives Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists

    John Harris receives Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists

    John E. Harris, MD, PhD, has been named a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government to outstanding scientists and engineers who are beginning their independent research careers.

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  • Top story: John Harris lab identifies new pathway to reverse vitiligo

    Top story: John Harris lab identifies new pathway to reverse vitiligo

    John E. Harris, MD, PhD, and colleagues have made a promising discovery that could lead to therapies for vitiligo with longer-lasting effects, according to new research published in Science Translational Medicine on July 18.

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  • John Harris lab identifies new pathway to reverse vitiligo

    John Harris lab identifies new pathway to reverse vitiligo

    John E. Harris, MD, PhD, and colleagues have made a promising discovery that could lead to therapies for vitiligo with longer-lasting effects, according to new research published in Science Translational Medicine on July 18.

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  • John Harris sheds light on treatments for vitiligo in WBZ-TV segment

    John Harris sheds light on treatments for vitiligo in WBZ-TV segment

    UMass Medical School vitiligo expert John Harris, MD, PhD, raised awareness and addressed misconceptions about the skin condition vitiligo in an interview with Mallika Marshall of WBZ-TV.

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  • New treatment in the works for disfiguring skin disease, vitiligo

    New treatment in the works for disfiguring skin disease, vitiligo

    In an essay published by The Conversation, John Harris, MD, talks about his lab's vitiligo research and possible new therapeutics that could be longer lasting----possibly even permanent----than current treatments available.

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  • UMass Medical School vitiligo expert discusses common skin condition

    UMass Medical School vitiligo expert discusses common skin condition

    As UMass Medical School prepares to host the World Vitiligo Day Conference from June 22 to 24, John Harris, MD, PhD, director of the Vitiligo Clinic and Research Center, explained the common skin condition in a FaceBook Live interview.

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  • Telegram story raises awareness of vitiligo, an autoimmune disease afflicting 70 million people

    Telegram story raises awareness of vitiligo, an autoimmune disease afflicting 70 million people

    John Harris MD, PhD, has dedicated his research to better understanding what causes vitiligo, an autoimmune disease that results in the appearance of white spots on the skin, according to an article in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

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