In addition to seeing patients at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Canter has spent the past 14 years cultivating a clinical and translational research focus in soft tissue sarcoma. He now directs an independently funded cancer immunology and immunotherapy research lab at UC Davis. There, he studies mechanisms to apply natural killer (NK) cell immunotherapy to solid tumors, including sarcomas.
Through his research, he has developed a strong collaboration with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine to apply novel immunotherapy approaches to treat dogs with naturally occurring cancers. As part of the cancer center’s comparative oncology program, Canter’s research lab is one of a select group of labs internationally studying canine NK cells. It has completed a first clinical trial of its kind of palliative radiation with intra-tumoral NK cells for dogs with naturally occurring osteosarcoma.
Robert Canter is now chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology, UC Davis Department of Surgery.
Canter’s current research is focused on further characterization of the activating and inhibitory receptors of NK cells as part of a multi-species evaluation of optimizing NK cancer immunotherapy. He’s also broadening dog canine immunotherapy comparative oncology clinical trials with other novel immune agents.
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated center serving the Central Valley and inland Northern California, a region of more than 6 million people. Its specialists provide compassionate, comprehensive care for more than 100,000 adults and children every year and access to more than 200 active clinical trials at any given time. Its innovative research program engages more than 240 scientists at UC Davis who work collaboratively to advance discovery of new tools to diagnose and treat cancer. Patients have access to leading-edge care, including immunotherapy and other targeted treatments. Its Office of Community Outreach and Engagement addresses disparities in cancer outcomes across diverse populations, and the cancer center provides comprehensive education and workforce development programs for the next generation of clinicians and scientists. For more information, visit cancer.ucdavis.edu.
