Hideho Okada, MD, PhD
Professor
Neurological Surgery
School of Medicine

415-476-1637

Dr. Okada is a creative physician-scientist who has developed therapeutic modalities in the laboratory, translated them into clinical protocols, and used his expertise as both scientist and clinician to assess the clinical data from ongoing trials. Dr. Okada's work has consistently focused on immunotherapeutic strategies aimed at a daunting challenge in oncology – malignant brain tumors.

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Dr. Okada conducted one of the first immune gene therapy trials in patients with malignant glioma. Dr. Okada's success in navigating the detailed regulatory processes required for such trials demonstrates his attention to detail and breadth of knowledge, spanning from basic science to clinical care. Dr. Okada's lab work was the first to identify and fully characterize cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes for gliomas. Dr. Okada's seminal discovery of CTL epitopes in glioma-associated antigens and the work on the mechanisms underlying the adjuvant effects of poly-ICLC enabled him to launch novel glioma vaccine trials in combination with poly-ICLC as an adjuvant. These efforts have also been supported by his mechanistic studies delineating the role of an integrin receptor very late activation antigen (VLA)-4 and chemokine CXCL10 in the efficient trafficking of T-cells to brain tumor sites. Dr. Okada has held 10 Investigational New Drug approvals that the FDA approved for early-phase clinical trials, including genetically engineered glioma vaccines and T cell receptor (TCR)- or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-transduced T cell therapy in both adult and pediatric patients. For example, Dr. Okada has developed a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)vIII, which has been evaluated in patients with EGFRvIII+ GBM. Recently, Dr. Okada developed a novel synNotch-primed CAR system with Dr. Wendell Lim to overcome the antigen-heterogeneity, off-tumor toxicity, and T-cell exhaustion issues. Dr. Okada’s team has also pioneered discoveries of novel immunoregulatory mechanisms in gliomas, such as one mediated by myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and mutations of the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)1 and IDH2. As a thought leader, to improve radiologic evaluation criteria for patients undergoing immunotherapy, Dr. Okada led an international group of brain tumor immunotherapy experts to develop novel Immunotherapy Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (iRANO) criteria. Dr. Okada is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (2010-present), an honored society for physicians who promote laboratory science to the clinic. Dr. Okada also serves as an Associate Editor for Neuro-Oncology, the most prominent journal for brain tumor research.

Awards

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  • Basic Research Trailblazer Award, Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC), 2023
  • Investigator Award, Alliance For Cancer Gene Therapy, 2022
  • Keynote Lecturer at the 2022 Annual Meeting of Society for Neuro-Oncology, Society for Neuro-Oncology, 2022
  • Mike and Dianne Traynor Lectureship, The Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre at the University of Toronto, 2021
  • Chair: AACR Special Conference, Immunobiology of Primary and Metastatic CNS Cancer: Multidisciplinary Science to Advance Cancer Immunotherapy. February 12 - 15, 2018. San Diego, American Association for Cancer Research, 2018
  • Makoto Saito Memorial International Contribution Award, Japan Neurosurgical Society, 2016
  • Selected to be a member of the Steering Committee of Cancer Immunology (CIMM) Working Group, American Association for Cancer Research, 2014
  • Faculty Honoree at the Annual Convocation, University of Pittsburgh, 2014
  • Selected to be a member of Immunotherapy Working Group in the Brain Malignancy Steering Committee (BMSC), National Cancer Institute, 2013
  • Faculty Honoree at the Annual Convocation, University of Pittsburgh, 2013
  • Innovator Award, University of Pittsburgh, 2012
  • Faculty Honoree at the Annual Convocation, University of Pittsburgh, 2011
  • selected to be a member, American Society for Clinical Investigation, 2010
  • Team Science Recognition Award, Society for Immunotherapy for Cancer, 2010
  • Appointed Councilor, Clinical Immunology Society, 2009
  • Faculty Honoree at the Annual Convocation, University of Pittsburgh, 2009
  • Innovator Award, University of Pittsburgh, 2008
  • Excellence in Translational Medicine Award 2006-07, Journal of Translational Medicine, 2007
  • 21st Century Scientist Award, James S. McDonnell’s Foundation, 2003
  • Clinical Scientist Development Award, Duke Charitable Foundation, 2001
  • First Place, Award for Scientific Excellence and Potential at 10th Annual University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Scientific Retreat, University of Pittsburgh, 1998
  • Postdoctoral Scholarship, Uehara Memorial Foundation, 1996

Education & Training

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  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training University of California 2019
  • Residency of Neurosurgery Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine 08/2003
  • Ph.D. School of Medicine Nagoya University 1996
  • M.D. School of Medicine Nagoya University 1991

Interests

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  • glioblastoma
  • lymphocyte
  • myeloid cell
  • glioma
  • immunotherapy
  • vaccine
  • monocyte
  • macrophage
  • immunology
  • brain tumor
  • dendritic cell
  • adoptive transfer

Websites

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Grants and Projects

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Publications (196)

Top publication keywords:
GlioblastomaT-LymphocytesCD8-Positive T-LymphocytesCancer VaccinesGliomaTumor MicroenvironmentT-Lymphocytes, CytotoxicBrain NeoplasmsAntigens, NeoplasmImmunotherapy, ActivePoly I-CImmunotherapyCarboxymethylcellulose SodiumImmunotherapy, AdoptivePolylysine

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