Cancer Immunotherapy Pioneer Michel Sadelain Joins Columbia University
Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD, was appointed inaugural director of the Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy (CICET) in September of 2024. Building on existing research into cell and gene therapies, this new University-wide initiative will drive progress in fundamental and translational science at Columbia. Dr. Sadelain will also serve as director of Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s Cancer Cell Therapy Initiative in the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Dr. Sadelain is known globally for pioneering chimeric anti- gen receptor T cell (CAR-T) immunotherapy. This revolutionary approach uses genetic engineering to transform a sample of a patient’s T cells into “living drugs.” Dr. Sadelain comes to Columbia from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he led the development of CAR-T cells targeting CD19, a marker found in certain blood cancer cells. After conceiving CAR molecules and identifying this target, Dr. Sadelain and his team established genetic engineering and cell manufacturing capabilities to translate their science into clinical applications, starting with refractory leukemias in 2007. The first CAR-T therapies became FDA approved in 2017, which opened the door to a new class of drugs based on T-cell engineering.
“Dr. Sadelain’s work foreshadows a range of therapeutic innovations in biomedical science and is already providing therapeutic options for patients with certain lymphomas, leukemias, and multiple myeloma,” Katrina Armstrong, MD, interim president of Columbia University, said in an email announcement. “At Columbia, Dr. Sadelain and his team will further explore cell engineering for the treatment of additional cancers and other illnesses, including monogenic blood disorders, neurological diseases, and autoimmune and transplant-related conditions. CICET will strive to devise sustainable cell and gene therapies for patients with unmet medical needs and to ensure equitable access to these treatments.”
Dr. Sadelain was previously the Stephen and Barbara Friedman Chair in the Immunology Program of the Sloan Kettering Institute, where he founded the Center for Cell Engineering at MSK. He recently received Harvard’s Warren Alpert Foundation Prize, the Canada Gairdner International Award, and the Breakthrough Prize for Life Sciences. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine of France. Dr. Sadelain received his MD from the University of Paris, conducted his PhD research at the University of Alberta, and completed his postdoctoral work at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at MIT.
The launch of CICET is expected to create productive synergies with several promising research initiatives at Columbia, as well as attract a new cadre of leading scientists, enhance research infrastructure, and integrate innovative work in disease modeling, bioengineering, genome editing, systems biology, synthetic biology, machine-learning/AI, and other areas.
“I would like to thank the many people across VP&S who were part of the journey to bring Michel and his lab to our institution,” James McKiernan’93, interim dean of VP&S and CEO of ColumbiaDoctors, said in an email announcement. He extended his gratitude to the cell therapy advisory committee led by Markus Mapara, MD; scientists at the HICCC, Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, the Vagelos Institute, and across VP&S who met with Dr. Sadelain and his team; and experts who are working to create a new and enhanced research infrastructure that will enable CICET’s work. “This moment is a testament to our team’s extraordinary dedication and exemplary science and education.”