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Smita K Nair

Professor in Surgery
Surgery, Surgical Sciences
Box 103035 Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710
Room 1077, MSRB-2, 106 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


I have 22 years of experience in the field of cancer vaccines and immunotherapy and I am an accomplished T cell immunologist. Laboratory website:
https://surgery.duke.edu/immunology-inflammation-immunotherapy-laboratory

Current projects in the Nair Laboratory:
1] Dendritic cell vaccines using tumor-antigen encoding RNA (mRNA, total tumor RNA, amplified tumor mRNA)
2] Local immune receptor modulation using mRNA that encodes for antibodies, receptor-ligands, cytokines, chemokines and toll-like receptors (current target list: CTLA4, GITR, PD1, TIM3, LAG3, OX40 and 41BB)
3] Combination therapies for cancer: cytotoxic therapy (radiation, chemo and oncolytic poliovirus therapy) with dendritic cell-based vaccines and immune checkpoint blockade
4] Adoptive T cell therapy using tumor RNA-transfected dendritic cells to expand tumor-specific T cells ex vivo
5] Adoptive T cell therapy using PSMA CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) RNA-transfected T cells
6] Direct injection of tumor antigen encoding RNA (targeting antigens to dendric cells in vivo using nanoparticles and aptamers)

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor in Surgery · 2021 - Present Surgery, Surgical Sciences, Surgery
Professor in Pathology · 2020 - Present Pathology, Clinical Science Departments
Professor in Neurosurgery · 2020 - Present Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute · 1993 - Present Duke Cancer Institute, Institutes and Centers

In the News


Published September 20, 2017
Poliovirus Therapy Induces Immune Responses Against Cancer
Published August 26, 2015
Can a Modified Poliovirus Fight Advanced Prostate Cancer Too?
Published August 8, 2014
Lab Develops Cheaper, Faster Cancer Vaccine

View All News

Recent Publications


Controlling Release Kinetics of an Adjuvant from a Depot Improves the Efficacy of Local Immunotherapy in Metastatic Cancer.

Journal Article Adv Sci (Weinh) · July 6, 2025 Biomaterials can improve cancer immunotherapies by controlling their release and thereby optimizing their time-dependent engagement of the immune system. In this study, an approach is described to control the release of a potent immunostimulant-CpG oligode ... Full text Link to item Cite

Current and future molecular diagnostics of palms phytoplasmas

Journal Article Phytopathogenic Mollicutes · June 1, 2025 Initial molecular diagnostic tools involved PCR amplification, often requiring nested PCR due to the low titre of phytoplasmas in infected palm and other species host tissues. This was followed by advanced techniques such as quantitative PCR assays and dig ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Unraveling effects of gut and blood microbial signatures on immune phenotypes and organ dysfunction in sepsis

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2030

Duke Research Training Program in Surgical Oncology

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Cancer Institute · 2024 - 2029

Advanced Immunobiology Traning Program for Surgeons

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2019 - 2029

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Education, Training & Certifications


University of Tennessee, Knoxville · 1993 Ph.D.

External Links


Nair Lab Nair Team