Kenneth DeSantes, MD

Pubmed

More information:

• Dr. Desantes’ UW Health Profile

Research Description:

My research has been focused on the development of immunotherapeutic strategies to treat pediatric malignancies, and the development of novel therapies for neuroblastoma. I served as PI for a haploidentical transplant protocol utilizing post-transplant NK cell infusions to treat children with relapsed leukemia or solid tumors. I worked in collaboration with the Waisman Biomanufacturing Facility to establish the methodology required for the ex-vivo expansion and activation of allogeneic NK cells. I am currently helping to develop a phase 1 clinical trial utilizing cytokine-induced memory like NK cells, in combination with long-term infusion dinutuximab beta, to treat children with relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma and osteosarcoma. I have extensive experience administering therapeutic ¹³¹I-MIBG and established UW Madison-AFCH as one of ~ 25 ¹³¹I-MIBG treatment centers in the US. I served as co-PI for an international study exploring the use of ¹³¹I-MIBG, in combination with PD-1 blockade (with nivolumab) and an anti-GD2 mAb, to treat children with relapsed neuroblastoma. I also served as the study chair for the first collaborative SU2C/St. Baldrick’s Pediatric Oncology Dream Team clinical trial utilizing MGA271, an anti-B7-H3 mAb, to treat children with relapsed or refractory B7-H3-expressing solid tumors. Most recently, I have been working with Divine Image LLC to develop the first virtual reality video game specifically designed to improve the emotional well-being of children undergoing cancer treatment.

Selected References:

• Curative Potential of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant in Type 1 Diabetes
  McCabe KE, Pollock AJ, Rehm JL, DeSantes KB. Pediatr Diabetes. 2016 Aug 30. doi: 10.1111/pedi.12430. [Epub ahead of print]
• MY Elsaid, CM Capitini, CA Diamond, M Porte, and KB DeSantes. Successful matched unrelated donor stem cell transplant in Hemoglobin Bart’s disease. Accepted for publication in Bone Marrow Transplantation, 2016 Jun 13. doi: 10.1038/bmt.2016.153. [Epub ahead of print]
• Capitini CM, Otto M, De Santes, KB., Sondel PM. Immunotherapy in pediatric malignancies: current status and future perspectives. Future Oncol. 10(9): 1659-1678, 2014.
• Damodharan SN, Walker KL, Forsberg MH, McDowell KA, Bouchlaka MN, Drier DA, Sondel PM, DeSantes KB, Capitini C. Analysis of ex vivo expanded and activated clinical grade human NK cells after cryopreservation. Cytotherapy. 2020 Aug;22(8):450-457. PMCID: PMC7387178.
• Undifferentiated and unresectable sarcoma with NTRK3-fusion in a pediatric patient treated with larotrectinib and proton beam radiotherapy. Mallery R. Olsen, Ryan A. Denu Jane B. Lyon, Jessica M. Gulliver MD, Christian M. Capitini, Kenneth B. DeSantes. The Journal of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology  April 2022; 44(3):e770-e774