David Schoenfeld, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology)Cards
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Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology)
Biography
Dr. David Schoenfeld is an Instructor of Medicine (Medical Oncology) and cares for patients with melanoma and advanced skin and kidney cancers at the Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven. He received his medical degree and a Ph.D. in Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Studies from Columbia University as part of the Medical Scientist Training Program. He then joined the ABIM Physician-Scientist Training Program at Yale through which he completed Internal Medicine residency and Hematology/Oncology fellowship training.
Dr. Schoenfeld’s research interests include bench-to-bedside cancer research and helping develop novel cancer therapies. He is investigating the tumor immune microenvironment and testing new immunomodulatory drugs and combinations in preclinical models, with the goal of bringing new treatments to patients by conducting early phase clinical trials. His research has been supported in part by the Yale Cancer Center-Advanced Training Program for Physician-scientists T32.
Appointments
Medical Oncology
Assistant ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Clinical Fellow
- Yale Cancer Center (2023)
- Internal Medicine Resident
- Yale School of Medicine (2019)
- MD
- Columbia University (2017)
- PhD
- Columbia University, Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Studies (2016)
- BS
- Yale University (2005)
Research
Overview
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Harriet Kluger, MD
Michael Hurwitz, MD, PhD
Joseph Madri, MD/PhD
Sandra Canosa, MSc, CCRP
Adebowale Adeniran, MD
Ana Luisa Perdigoto, MD, PhD
Carcinoma, Renal Cell
Tumor Microenvironment
Melanoma
Cytokines
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Publications
2024
Update on Biomarkers in Renal Cell Carcinoma.
Saliby R, Saad E, Kashima S, Schoenfeld D, Braun D. Update on Biomarkers in Renal Cell Carcinoma. American Society Of Clinical Oncology Educational Book 2024, 44: e430734. PMID: 38207251, DOI: 10.1200/edbk_430734.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRenal cell carcinomaCell carcinomaMetastatic renal cell carcinomaTumor intrinsic featuresImmune checkpoint inhibitorsRobust predictive biomarkersCheckpoint inhibitorsDurable responsesOverall survivalCare regimensPathological characteristicsPredictive biomarkersTherapeutic responseTreatment paradigmImmune systemHost factorsTranscriptional signatureGenomic alterationsTumor heterogeneityBiomarkersCarcinomaBiomarker discoveryInnovative technological approachesRegimens
2023
A bedside to bench study of anti-PD-1, anti-CD40, and anti-CSF1R indicates that more is not necessarily better
Djureinovic D, Weiss S, Krykbaeva I, Qu R, Vathiotis I, Moutafi M, Zhang L, Perdigoto A, Wei W, Anderson G, Damsky W, Hurwitz M, Johnson B, Schoenfeld D, Mahajan A, Hsu F, Miller-Jensen K, Kluger Y, Sznol M, Kaech S, Bosenberg M, Jilaveanu L, Kluger H. A bedside to bench study of anti-PD-1, anti-CD40, and anti-CSF1R indicates that more is not necessarily better. Molecular Cancer 2023, 22: 182. PMID: 37964379, PMCID: PMC10644655, DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01884-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsStable diseasePartial responseMacrophage populationsThree-drug regimenUnconfirmed partial responsePhase I trialLimited treatment optionsMonocyte/macrophage populationNon-classical monocytesMurine melanoma modelTreatment-related changesResultsThirteen patientsWorse survivalI trialInflammatory tumorPatient populationTreatment optionsImmune cellsDisease progressionMurine studiesPreclinical modelsResistant melanomaAntigen presentationMurine modelCyTOF analysisImmune dysfunction revealed by digital spatial profiling of immuno-oncology markers in progressive stages of renal cell carcinoma and in brain metastases
Schoenfeld D, Moutafi M, Martinez S, Djureinovic D, Merkin R, Adeniran A, Braun D, Signoretti S, Choueiri T, Parisi F, Hurwitz M, Rimm D, Wei W, Jilaveanu L, Kluger H. Immune dysfunction revealed by digital spatial profiling of immuno-oncology markers in progressive stages of renal cell carcinoma and in brain metastases. Journal For ImmunoTherapy Of Cancer 2023, 11: e007240. PMID: 37586773, PMCID: PMC10432651, DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007240.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRenal cell carcinomaBrain metastasesPrimary tumorTumor microenvironmentDigital spatial profilingCell carcinomaActivation protein expressionInflammatory macrophage markersRCC brain metastasesInnate immune activatorsNormal kidney samplesProgressive stagesExtracranial metastasesTim-3Immune checkpointsImmune dysfunctionImmune activationRCC metastasisLonger survivalImmune activatorsMacrophage markersTreatment responseSeparate cohortTissue microarrayMetastatic samplesResponse to "NLRC5 germline variants and their potential role in eliciting an immune response in patients with cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors" by Xiang-Yu Meng
Aizenbud L, Schoenfeld D, Caulfield J, Mann J, Austin M, Perdigoto A, Herold K, Kluger H. Response to "NLRC5 germline variants and their potential role in eliciting an immune response in patients with cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors" by Xiang-Yu Meng. Journal For ImmunoTherapy Of Cancer 2023, 11: e007397. PMID: 37349129, PMCID: PMC10314693, DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007397.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchLenvatinib or anti-VEGF in combination with anti-PD-1 differentially augments anti-tumor activity in melanoma
Tran T, Caulfield J, Zhang L, Schoenfeld D, Djureinovic D, Chiang V, Oria V, Weiss S, Olino K, Jilaveanu L, Kluger H. Lenvatinib or anti-VEGF in combination with anti-PD-1 differentially augments anti-tumor activity in melanoma. JCI Insight 2023, 8: e157347. PMID: 36821392, PMCID: PMC10132152, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.157347.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsTumor microenvironmentAnti-VEGFCytokine/chemokine signalingCytokine/chemokine profilingBlood-brain barrier modelBlood vesselsLeukocyte transmigrationTumor-associated blood vesselsTumor-associated macrophagesIntratumoral blood vesselsAnti-angiogenesis effectAnti-tumor activityExtracranial diseasePlasmacytoid DCsImmune checkpointsPD-1Melanoma murine modelImmune infiltrationBBB modelChemokine profilingEndothelial stabilizationMurine modelLenvatinibCombined targetingMelanoma modelOutcomes With Combination Pembrolizumab and Axitinib in Second and Further Line Treatment of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma
Dizman N, Austin M, Considine B, Jessel S, Schoenfeld D, Merl M, Hurwitz M, Sznol M, Kluger H. Outcomes With Combination Pembrolizumab and Axitinib in Second and Further Line Treatment of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma. Clinical Genitourinary Cancer 2023, 21: 221-229. PMID: 36681606, DOI: 10.1016/j.clgc.2023.01.002.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMetastatic renal cell carcinomaPembrolizumab/axitinibObjective response rateProgression-free survivalImmune checkpoint inhibitorsMedian progression-free survivalAdverse eventsRenal cell carcinomaCell carcinomaClear cell metastatic renal cell carcinomaVascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitorsGrowth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitorsCombination immune checkpoint inhibitorsGrade 5 adverse eventsPrior immune checkpoint inhibitorsSuperior progression-free survivalReceptor tyrosine kinase inhibitorsYale-New Haven HospitalFurther-line treatmentNivolumab/ipilimumabRECIST 1.1 criteriaResponse-evaluable patientsDisease control rateSecond-line therapyFirst-line treatment
2022
Location matters: LAG3 levels are lower in renal cell carcinoma metastatic sites compared to primary tumors, and expression at metastatic sites only may have prognostic importance
Schoenfeld D, Merkin R, Moutafi M, Martinez S, Adeniran A, Kumar D, Jilaveanu L, Hurwitz M, Rimm D, Kluger H. Location matters: LAG3 levels are lower in renal cell carcinoma metastatic sites compared to primary tumors, and expression at metastatic sites only may have prognostic importance. Frontiers In Oncology 2022, 12: 990367. PMID: 36313654, PMCID: PMC9608089, DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.990367.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsRenal cell carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitorsMetastatic sitesBrain metastasesPrimary tumorMechanisms of resistancePD-1/PD-L1Anti-PD-1 therapyHigh-risk clinical characteristicsLarger primary tumor sizeAdvanced renal cell carcinomaAlternative immune checkpointsCertain drug regimensPoor-risk diseasePD-1 inhibitorsMinority of patientsPrimary tumor sizeLonger overall survivalGrade 4 tumorsProtein levelsPrimary RCC tumorsAttractive therapeutic targetIdentification of subgroupsCheckpoint inhibitorsUpfront therapyLoss of PBRM1 alters promoter histone modifications and activates ALDH1A1 to drive renal cell carcinomaPBRM1 loss increases H3K4me3 marks and expression of ALDH1A1
Schoenfeld D, Zhou R, Zairis S, Su W, Steinbach N, Mathur D, Bansal A, Zachem A, Tavarez B, Hasson D, Bernstein E, Rabadan R, Parsons R. Loss of PBRM1 alters promoter histone modifications and activates ALDH1A1 to drive renal cell carcinomaPBRM1 loss increases H3K4me3 marks and expression of ALDH1A1. Molecular Cancer Research 2022, 20: 1193-1207. PMID: 35412614, PMCID: PMC9357026, DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-1039.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRetinoic acid biosynthesisSuch target genesPromoter histone modificationsAcid biosynthesisHistone modificationsClear cell renal cell carcinomaTarget genesLoss of PBRM1SWI/SNF complexSWI/SNF chromatinSWI/SNF subunitsHistone modification ChIP-seqSWI/SNF componentsATAC-seq dataCcRCC cell linesDe novo gainPBAF subunitsH3K4me3 peaksH3K4me3 marksPBAF complexSNF complexEpigenomic approachesChIP-seqRNA-seqHigh mutation frequency
2015
PTEN inhibits PREX2-catalyzed activation of RAC1 to restrain tumor cell invasion
Mense SM, Barrows D, Hodakoski C, Steinbach N, Schoenfeld D, Su W, Hopkins BD, Su T, Fine B, Hibshoosh H, Parsons R. PTEN inhibits PREX2-catalyzed activation of RAC1 to restrain tumor cell invasion. Science Signaling 2015, 8: ra32. PMID: 25829446, PMCID: PMC4874664, DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2005840.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsMeSH KeywordsAnimalsBreast NeoplasmsCell Line, TumorCell MovementDNA PrimersFluorescent Antibody TechniqueGene Knockout TechniquesGenetic VectorsGuanine Nucleotide Exchange FactorsHumansImmunoblottingImmunoprecipitationLentivirusMiceNeoplasm InvasivenessPolymerase Chain ReactionPTEN PhosphohydrolaseRac1 GTP-Binding ProteinRNA, Small InterferingStatistics, NonparametricConceptsLipid phosphatase activityPTEN-mediated inhibitionGEF activityCancer mutantsCell migrationNucleotide exchange assaysPhosphatase activityTumor suppressor PTENMouse embryonic fibroblastsTumor cell invasionPI3K pathwayHuman tumor dataKinase AktSuppressor PTENTail domainEmbryonic fibroblastsGTPase Rac1PREX2 mutationsImmortalized melanocytesMutantsCell invasionHigh PTEN expressionK pathwayRac1Breast cancer cell lines
2012
Expression of the p53 Target CDIP Correlates with Sensitivity to TNFα-Induced Apoptosis in Cancer Cells
Brown-Endres L, Schoenfeld D, Tian F, Kim HG, Namba T, Muñoz-Fontela C, Mandinova A, Aaronson SA, Lee SW. Expression of the p53 Target CDIP Correlates with Sensitivity to TNFα-Induced Apoptosis in Cancer Cells. Cancer Research 2012, 72: 2373-2382. PMID: 22549949, PMCID: PMC3349239, DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-11-3369.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsMeSH KeywordsAnimalsApoptosisApoptosis Regulatory ProteinsCell Line, TumorFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansInterleukin-8MAP Kinase Kinase 4MAP Kinase Signaling SystemMiceMice, NudeNF-kappa BReactive Oxygen SpeciesRecombinant ProteinsTumor Necrosis Factor-alphaTumor Suppressor Protein p53ConceptsApoptotic cell fateCell fateCancer cellsP53-mediated deathGenotoxic stressAntiapoptotic programGrowth-suppressive effectsJNK activationApoptotic pathwaySurvival responseApoptosisDual roleExpression correlatesCellsCDIPPathwayPleiotropic cytokineFateExpressionPredictive biomarkersTNFαRegulatorDeathSurvivalActivation
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- September 07, 2023
Dr. David Schoenfeld joins Skin and Kidney Cancer Program at Smilow Cancer Hospital
- February 15, 2023
Discoveries & Impact (February 2023)
- November 04, 2022
Albertus Magnus Cancer Research Student Science Day
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