Division of Hematology and Thromboembolism

Ronan Foley

M.D., FRCPC

Associate Professor, Division of Hematology and Thromboembolism, Department of Medicine

Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre

 

 

Team Members

Research Assistant/ Coordinator: Elizabeth Sheid
Clinical Trials Nurse Coordinator: Sandra Turner
Technical Specialist - Stem Cell Laboratory: Pamela O'Hoski
Apheresis Nurse: Michele Saunders-Roy
Post-Doctoral Fellow: Suresh Kaladh

Biography

Dr. Ronan Foley, a clinical hematologist, is the Director of the Stem Cell Laboratory and Chair of the Clinical Trials Network of the Canadian Bone Marrow Transplant Group (CBMTG). An Associate Professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster University , Dr. Foley completed his medical and subspecialty training in Hamilton and Toronto . Following this, he completed a Terry Fox Fellowship under the supervision of Dr. Jack Gauldie at the Centre of Gene Therapeutics, McMaster University . During this time, he became interested in the evaluation of cellular gene transfer in the context of cancer immunotherapy, which led to his current research focus: the development of therapeutic cancer vaccines.

Education and Professional Standing

  • FRCPC, Hematology, 1993
  • FRCPC, Internal Medicine, 1991
  • MD, McMaster University, 1988

Research Interests

Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cell-based Vaccines

Gene Therapy at the Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation, Henderson Site, has been developed in collaboration with the Hamilton Regional Cancer Centre. The emphasis is on Human Clinical Trials in Cancer Therapy and Genetic Immunization. This work is based on preclinical studies completed in laboratories at McMaster University and the Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation.

We have initiated several cancer vaccine studies in patients with metastatic melanoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and most recently metastatic breast cancer. Facilities include a Stem Cell Processing Laboratory where stem cells are harvested, purified and subsequently used for cellular vaccination. Adenoviral-based gene transfer is used as a platform to genetically modify autologous antigen presenting cells in patients with melanoma, breast cancer and lymphocytic leukemia.

These studies involve the collaborative efforts of hospital, clinical trials nursing and laboratory staff where flow cytometry, PCR analysis, blood banking and stem cell processing with cryopreservation are all completed.

Based on successful pilot studies, future trials will include collaboration with other centers in Canada.

Selected Publications

  1. Foley, R., Driscoll, K., Wan, Y., Braciak, T., Howard, B., Xing, Z., Graham, F. and Gauldie, J. Adenoviral gene transfer of Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 2 in rat lung. Am. J. Path. 149:1395-1403, 1996.
  2. Foley, R., Ellis, R., Carter, R., Graham, F. and Gauldie, J. Intra-marrow administration of adenoviral vectors for gene transfer and expression within the marrow cavity of dogs. Hum. Gene Ther. 8:545-553, 1997.
  3. Wan, Y., Emtage, P., Foley, R., Carter, R. and Gauldie, J. Murine dendritic cells transduced with an adenoviral vector expressing a define tumor antigen can overcome anti-adenovirus neutralizing immunity and induce effective tumor regression. Int. J. Oncol. 14:771-776, 1999.
  4. Wan, Y., Emtage, P., Zhu, Q., Foley, R., Pilon, A., Roberts, B. and Gauldie, J. Enhanced immune response to the melanoma antigen gp100 using recombinant adenovirus-transduced dendritic cells. Cell Immunol. 198:131-138, 1999.
  5. Xing, Z., Braciak, T., Ohkawara, Y., Sallenave, J.M., Foley, R., Sime, P.J., Jordana, M., Graham, F. and Gauldie, J. Gene transfer for cytokine functional studies in the lung: the multifunctional role of GM-CSF in pulmonary inflammation. J. Leuk. Biol. 59:481-488, 1996.
  6. Dorman SC, Babirad I, Post J, Watson RM, Foley R, Jones GL, O'Byrne PM, Sehmi R. Progenitor egress from the bone marrow after allergen challenge: role of stromal cell-derived factor 1alpha and eotaxin. : J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005 Mar;115(3):501-7.
  7. Arnold DM, Neame PB, Meyer RM, Soamboonsrup P, Luinstra KE, O'Hoski P, Garner J, Foley R.Autologous peripheral blood progenitor cells are a potential source of parvovirus B19 infection. Transfusion. 2005 Mar;45(3):394-8.
  8. Gyorffy S, Rodriguez-Lecompte JC, Woods JP, Foley R, Kruth S, Liaw PC, Gauldie J.Bone marrow-derived dendritic cell vaccination of dogs with naturally occurring melanoma by using human gp100 antigen. J Vet Intern Med. 2005 Jan-Feb;19(1):56-63
  9. Suresh K, Rodriguez-Lecompte J, Gauldie J, Foley R. Recent Advances in Immunotherapy of B-CLL using Ex-Vivo Modified Dendritic Cells. Hematology. 2005 Jun;10(3):189-203. Review.
  10. K. Suresh, G. Fraser, E. Scheid, B. Leber, J. Gauldie and R. Foley.Generation of in vitro B-CLL specific HLA class I restricted CTL responses using autologous dendritic cells pulsed with necrotic tumor lysate. Leuk Lymphoma. 2006 Feb;47(2):297-306.
  11. Martin PJ, Weisdorf D, Przepiorka D, Hirschfeld S, Farrell A, Rizzo JD, Foley R, Socie G, Carter S, Couriel D, Schultz KR, Flowers ME, Filipovich AH, Saliba R, Vogelsang GB, Pavletic SZ, Lee SJ; Design of Clinical Trials Working Group .National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Project on Criteria for Clinical Trials in Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease: VI. Design of Clinical Trials Working Group report. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2006 May;12(5):491-505.