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institutionsInstitution
NCI Center for Cancer Research (intramural programme)
The NCI's own laboratories and clinic at the NIH Clinical Center, home of Rosenberg's cell therapy branch, the HPV vaccine and lymphoma genomics.
Also called: CCRNCI intramural
Overview
The Center for Cancer Research is the NCI's intramural research programme, with laboratories in Bethesda and Frederick and a clinical arm at the NIH Clinical Center, the largest hospital in the world devoted to research, where patients on protocol are treated free of charge. Steven Rosenberg's Surgery Branch produced the first effective cancer immunotherapy (high-dose IL-2), the first gene-modified T cells (1990), TIL therapy and neoantigen-directed TCR therapy; Douglas Lowy and John Schiller invented the virus-like-particle technology behind HPV vaccines; Louis Staudt's lymphoma genomics defined the ABC and GCB subtypes of DLBCL. The Pediatric Oncology Branch (Brigitte Widemann, Nirali Shah) led selumetinib for NF1 and CD22 CAR-T, and James Gulley and Raffit Hassan run immunotherapy and mesothelin programmes. Most CCR trials are open to referral from any physician.
Location
Bethesda, MD, US
Type
government
Website
Newsweek 2026 oncology rank
Not in top 300 listing used
OnCo score
#183 · 30 points (0 Newsweek + 0 NCI + 30 from 15 linked objects) · ranking
Research output
From OpenAlex, oncology works in the last five years (2022 to 2026, current year in progress); counted on 2026-09-16.
Matched to Center for Cancer Research, including child institutions. 1,312 works · 26,262 citations · 82% open access · 11% clinical trials · 2% reviews.
Oncology works per year
2602022
3172023
2602024
2762025
1992026
Most works
- Nirali N. Shah94 works
- Marcela V. Maus64 works
- James L. Gulley54 works
- Suresh V. Ambudkar47 works
- Jeffrey Schlom45 works
- Seth M. Steinberg38 works
- Kathryn Lurain36 works
- Bonnie Yates34 works
- Ramya Ramaswami34 works
- Anish Thomas33 works
Most cited
- Surgery Branch (TIL, TCR-T)
- HPV vaccine science
- Lymphoid malignancies
- Pediatric Oncology Branch
- NIH Clinical Center trials
Senthil K. Muthuswamy
Director, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute
Cancer cell biologyOrganoid modelsBreast and pancreatic cancer
Cancer biologist who directs the National Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Research, the large intramural research programme in Bethesda.
Wyndham H. Wilson
Senior Investigator and Head, Lymphoma Therapeutics Section, National Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Research
Aggressive lymphomaDose-adjusted EPOCHPrimary mediastinal lymphoma
Developed dose-adjusted EPOCH-R, the regimen that cures primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma without radiotherapy.
Steven A. Rosenberg
Chief, Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research
Adoptive cell therapyTIL therapyNeoantigen-specific T cells
Father of cancer immunotherapy: first to cure patients with IL-2 and with their own tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes.
Louis M. Staudt
Director, Center for Cancer Genomics; Chief, Lymphoid Malignancies Branch
Lymphoma genomicsMolecular subtypes of DLBCLBTK signalling
Louis Staudt defined the molecular subtypes of large B-cell lymphoma that guide targeted therapy.
Douglas R. Lowy
Principal Deputy Director, National Cancer Institute
HPV biologyVaccine developmentCancer prevention
Co-developed the HPV vaccine technology that is eliminating cervical cancer in vaccinated populations.
James L. Gulley
Co-Director, Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research
Genitourinary cancersCancer vaccinesBifunctional immunotherapies
Runs NCI's immuno-oncology clinical programme, from prostate cancer vaccines to bifunctional checkpoint fusion proteins.
Brigitte C. Widemann
Chief, Pediatric Oncology Branch; Special Advisor to the NCI Director for Childhood Cancer
Paediatric oncologyNeurofibromatosisMEK inhibitors
Led the selumetinib trials that gave children with neurofibromatosis their first approved drug.
Nirali N. Shah
Head, Hematologic Malignancies Section, Pediatric Oncology Branch
Paediatric leukaemiaCAR-TCD22
Nirali Shah developed CD22 CAR-T for children whose leukaemia escaped CD19 therapy.
Raffit Hassan
Chief, Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch
MesotheliomaMesothelin-targeted therapyImmunotoxins
Made mesothelin a drug target, from immunotoxins to ADCs and CAR-T, and leads NCI's mesothelioma programme.
Similar pages
- Key paperC-144-01: lifileucel, tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes grown from a patient's own tumour, in melanoma after checkpoint inhibitors have failed
Shares Steven A. Rosenberg, Aldesleukin (high-dose IL-2), TIL therapy, National Cancer Institute (NIH).
- TrialStudy of AU-007, A Monoclonal Antibody That Binds to IL-2 and Inhibits IL-2Rα Binding, in Patients With Unresectable Locally Advanced or Metastatic Ca
Shares Aldesleukin (high-dose IL-2), TIL therapy, Cytokines & engineered cytokines, Melanoma.
- PersonPhilip D. Greenberg
Shares Mesothelin, TCR-T cell therapy, CAR-T cell therapy.
- TrialPembrolizumab with or without anetumab ravtansine in mesothelin-positive pleural mesothelioma (NCI)
Shares Mesothelin, Mesothelioma, National Cancer Institute (NIH).
- IdeaPublic cell-therapy foundries at cancer centres for academics and start-ups
Shares TIL therapy, TCR-T cell therapy, CAR-T cell therapy.
- PersonIan Frazer
Shares Douglas R. Lowy, HPV & HBV vaccination, Cervical cancer.
- InstitutionUganda Cancer Institute
Shares HPV & HBV vaccination, National Cancer Institute (NIH), Cervical cancer, Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
- PersonPatrick Hwu
Shares TIL therapy, TCR-T cell therapy, Melanoma.
cancers
fronts
technologies
targets
drugs
ApprovedRecombinant interleukin-2 (cytokine)
Aldesleukin (high-dose IL-2) · Proleukin