Juli Degraw

Title: Innovations of Juli Degraw in Cell Therapy

Introduction

Juli Degraw is a prominent inventor based in San Diego, California, known for her significant contributions to the field of cell therapy. With a total of 11 patents to her name, she has developed groundbreaking methods aimed at improving cancer treatment through innovative approaches to immune system enhancement.

Latest Patents

One of her latest patents focuses on a cell therapy method for the treatment of tumors. This method addresses the issue of diminished T cell responses in individuals with compromised immune systems. Juli has developed a protocol to isolate, stimulate, and expand naïve cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors (CTLp) into antigen-specific effectors capable of lysing tumor cells in vivo. The ex vivo protocol she created produces fully functional effectors. The use of artificial antigen presenting cells (AAPCs) transfected with human HLA class I and defined accessory molecules is central to this method. These AAPCs stimulate cytotoxic T cells from both normal donors and cancer patients. The class I molecules expressed on the surface of the cells are empty, allowing for efficient loading of multiple peptides, which results in robust, antigen-specific, and reproducible responses against tumor cells expressing specific peptides. This artificial antigen expression system has the potential to be adapted for treating a significant majority of cancers in the population.

Another notable patent involves the preparation of inactivated artificial antigen presenting cells and their application in cell therapies. This patent describes methods for processing inactivated AAPCs and those with specificity for selected antigenic peptides. Juli's innovative approach includes generating inactivated AAPCs through crosslinking, such as via a photoreaction involving a psoralen derivative and UVA irradiation.

Career Highlights

Throughout her career, Juli has worked with reputable companies, including Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical Corporation and Janssen Pharmaceutica NV. Her experience in these organizations has contributed to her expertise in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.

Collaborations

Juli has collaborated with notable colleagues, including Zeling Cai and Wei-Xing Shi, who have contributed to her research and development efforts in cell therapy.

Conclusion

Juli Degraw's innovative work in cell therapy represents a significant advancement in cancer treatment methodologies. Her patents and collaborations highlight her commitment to enhancing immune responses and improving patient outcomes. Her contributions are paving the way for future developments in the field of oncology.