The Laboratory of Paul Sondel, MD, PhD (Professor, Division of Hematology, Oncology & Bone Marrow Transplant), has received a two-year award from Invenra, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of multispecific antibodies for immuno-oncology, to further their collaborative research testing the function and specificity and potential clinical utility of “SNIPER” genetically engineered bispecific antibodies created by Invenra. This new award, for $622,000 in total costs, has as its goal to provide greater control of in vivo anti-tumor immunity via developing SNIPERS that require co-recognition of two separate immune cell membrane receptors co-expressed on immunosuppressive tumor-infiltrating T-regulatory cells (Tregs) such as CD25 and CTLA4. A major component of the work will involve in vivo studies in mice, to evaluate the roles of these SNIPERS in mouse models, for their ability to augment endogenous anti-tumor immunity in “immunogenic” tumor models, and to augment the induction of anti-tumor immunity induced by other forms of immunotherapy in tumor models that are “weakly-immunogenic” or “non-immunogenic”.