Harriet Kluger, MD
Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Medicine (Oncology) and of DermatologyCards
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View Doctor ProfileAdditional Titles
Director, Yale SPORE in Skin Cancer, Yale Cancer Center
Vice Chair for Collaborative Research, Internal Medicine
Chief, Division of Skin and Kidney Cancer
Associate Cancer Center Director, Education, Training and Faculty Development
Deputy Section Chief, Medical Oncology
Contact Info
Are You a Patient?
View this doctor's clinical profile on the Yale Medicine website for information about the services we offer and making an appointment.
View Doctor ProfileAdditional Titles
Director, Yale SPORE in Skin Cancer, Yale Cancer Center
Vice Chair for Collaborative Research, Internal Medicine
Chief, Division of Skin and Kidney Cancer
Associate Cancer Center Director, Education, Training and Faculty Development
Deputy Section Chief, Medical Oncology
Contact Info
Are You a Patient?
View this doctor's clinical profile on the Yale Medicine website for information about the services we offer and making an appointment.
View Doctor ProfileAdditional Titles
Director, Yale SPORE in Skin Cancer, Yale Cancer Center
Vice Chair for Collaborative Research, Internal Medicine
Chief, Division of Skin and Kidney Cancer
Associate Cancer Center Director, Education, Training and Faculty Development
Deputy Section Chief, Medical Oncology
Contact Info
About
Titles
Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Medicine (Oncology) and of Dermatology
Director, Yale SPORE in Skin Cancer, Yale Cancer Center; Vice Chair for Collaborative Research, Internal Medicine; Chief, Division of Skin and Kidney Cancer; Associate Cancer Center Director, Education, Training and Faculty Development; Deputy Section Chief, Medical Oncology
Biography
Dr. Kluger is a medical oncologist who sees patients with melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. Her research interests focus on developing new drug regimens and biomarkers predictive of response to therapies in melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. She participates in a number of clinical trials studying new agents for the treatment of these diseases, both targeting the immune system and the cancer cell. She runs an active research laboratory that studies tumor and immune cells from patients treated with novel therapies to determine mechanisms of resistance to therapy and mediators of toxicity from immune checkpoint inhibitors. The laboratory also conducts pre-clinical studies to improve treatment regimens for patients with melanoma, renal cell carcinoma or brain metastasis.
Please visit the lab website at:
Appointments
Medical Oncology
ProfessorPrimaryDermatology
ProfessorSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Dermatology
- Developmental Therapeutics
- Discovery to Cure Internship
- Internal Medicine
- K12 Calabresi Immuno-Oncology Training Program (IOTP)
- Medical Oncology
- Skin & Kidney Cancer Program
- SPORE in Skin Cancer
- Subset Medical Oncology Faculty
- WHRY Pilot Project Program Investigators
- Women's Health Research at Yale
- Yale Cancer Center
- Yale Center for Immuno-Oncology
- Yale Medicine
- Yale Ventures
- YCC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Education & Training
- Fellow
- Yale University School of Medicine (2002)
- Resident
- University of New Mexico (1995)
- MD
- Tel Aviv University (1993)
Research
Overview
Medical Research Interests
- View Lab Website
H. Kluger Lab
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
David Rimm, MD, PhD
Mario Sznol, MD
Lucia Jilaveanu, MD, PhD
Robert Camp, PhD, MD
Veronica Chiang, MD, FAANS
Sarah Weiss, MD
Melanoma
Medical Oncology
Publications
2024
Circulating tumor-reactive KIR+CD8+ T cells suppress anti-tumor immunity in patients with melanoma
Lu B, Lucca L, Lewis W, Wang J, Nogueira C, Heer S, Rayon-Estrada V, Axisa P, Reeves S, Buitrago-Pocasangre N, Pham G, Kojima M, Wei W, Aizenbud L, Bacchiocchi A, Zhang L, Walewski J, Chiang V, Olino K, Clune J, Halaban R, Kluger Y, Coyle A, Kisielow J, Obermair F, Kluger H, Hafler D. Circulating tumor-reactive KIR+CD8+ T cells suppress anti-tumor immunity in patients with melanoma. Nature Immunology 2024, 1-10. PMID: 39609626, DOI: 10.1038/s41590-024-02023-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsCD8+ T cellsAnti-tumor immunityRegulatory T cellsT cellsSubpopulation of CD8+ T cellsCytotoxic CD8+ T cellsHuman CD8+ T cellsTumor antigen-specific CD8Impaired anti-tumor immunityTumor antigen-specificPoor overall survivalTumor rejectionKIR expressionOverall survivalTumor antigensImmune evasionCellular mediatorsHuman cancersCD8MelanomaTumorTranscriptional programsFunctional heterogeneityImmunityPatientsDecoy-resistant IL-18 reshapes the tumor microenvironment and enhances rejection by anti-CTLA-4 in renal cell carcinoma
Schoenfeld D, Djureinovic D, Su D, Zhang L, Lu B, Kamga L, Mann J, Huck J, Hurwitz M, Braun D, Jilaveanu L, Ring A, Kluger H. Decoy-resistant IL-18 reshapes the tumor microenvironment and enhances rejection by anti-CTLA-4 in renal cell carcinoma. JCI Insight 2024 PMID: 39561007, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.184545.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAnti-CTLA-4Renal cell carcinomaIL-18IL-18BPCell carcinomaTumor microenvironmentTumor typesPatients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitorsRegulatory T cell levelsAnti-PD-1 treatmentCD8+ T cellsAnti-PD-1Immune checkpoint inhibitorsCell renal cell carcinomaNon-responder patientsMyeloid cell populationsT cell levelsCytokine interleukin-18Anti-cancer efficacySecreted binding proteinCheckpoint inhibitorsResponding patientsPreclinical modelsT cellsMurine model16S rRNA target sequencing of human tumors validates findings of Lachnoclostridium abundance in human melanomas that are heavily CD8+ T-cell infiltrated
Lu L, Johnson C, Khan S, Kluger H. 16S rRNA target sequencing of human tumors validates findings of Lachnoclostridium abundance in human melanomas that are heavily CD8+ T-cell infiltrated. European Journal Of Cancer 2024, 213: 115084. PMID: 39477777, DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2024.115084.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConcepts1102P Immune checkpoint inhibitor rechallenge after treatment with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in unresectable melanoma
Warner A, Smithy J, Los C, Kalvin H, Hasson N, Amaria R, Czapla J, Schollenberger M, furness A, Hassel J, Wermke M, Gallegos J, Lutzky J, Lipson E, Sullivan R, Kluger H, Panageas K, Klobuch S, Haanen J, Shoushtari A. 1102P Immune checkpoint inhibitor rechallenge after treatment with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in unresectable melanoma. Annals Of Oncology 2024, 35: s730-s731. DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2024.08.1170.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTIGIT expression in renal cell carcinoma infiltrating T cells is variable and inversely correlated with PD-1 and LAG3
Perales O, Jilaveanu L, Adeniran A, Su D, Hurwitz M, Braun D, Kluger H, Schoenfeld D. TIGIT expression in renal cell carcinoma infiltrating T cells is variable and inversely correlated with PD-1 and LAG3. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy 2024, 73: 192. PMID: 39105820, PMCID: PMC11303630, DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03773-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRenal cell carcinomaRenal cell carcinoma tumorsT cellsTIGIT expressionCheckpoint inhibitorsPD-1Likelihood of response to therapyTumor-infiltrating T cellsCD3+ T cellsRenal cell carcinoma metastasisTreatment of renal cell carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitorsInfiltrating T cellsPurposeImmune checkpoint inhibitorsResponse to therapyT cell immunoglobulinCD3+ levelsMetastatic RCC specimensAdjacent normal renal tissuesNormal renal tissuesQuantitative immunofluorescence analysisCell carcinomaResistant diseasePotential therapeutic targetTissue microarrayGP100 expression is variable in intensity in melanoma
Mann J, Hasson N, Su D, Adeniran A, Smalley K, Djureinovic D, Jilaveanu L, Schoenfeld D, Kluger H. GP100 expression is variable in intensity in melanoma. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy 2024, 73: 191. PMID: 39105816, PMCID: PMC11303354, DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03776-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsGp100 expressionCutaneous melanomaTreatment of cutaneous melanomaAdvanced cutaneous melanomaT-cell engagersImprove patient selectionMetastatic melanomaUveal melanomaMetastatic samplesPatient selectionClinical trialsMelanomaQuantitative immunofluorescence methodGp100Improve outcomesImmunofluorescence methodTherapeutic intentDrugCellular productsExpressionTebentafuspImmunohistochemistryCauses of death and patterns of metastatic disease at the end of life for patients with advanced melanoma in the immunotherapy era
Lee D, McNamara M, Yang A, Yaskolko M, Kluger H, Tran T, Olino K, Clune J, Sznol M, Ishizuka J. Causes of death and patterns of metastatic disease at the end of life for patients with advanced melanoma in the immunotherapy era. Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research 2024, 37: 847-853. PMID: 39073002, DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.13188.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSite of metastasisPattern of metastatic diseaseMelanoma mortalityRetrospective observational cohort studyCause of cancer mortalityDistant lymph nodesObservational cohort studyDiagnosis to deathImmunotherapy eraAdvanced melanomaMetastatic diagnosisMetastatic diseaseMetastatic melanomaImmunotherapy treatmentRespiratory failureCause of deathMedian timeLymph nodesTherapeutic advancesCohort studyMelanomaImmunotherapyMechanism of deathPatientsEnd of lifePatterns of brain metastases response to immunotherapy with pembrolizumab
Mahajan A, Goldberg S, Weiss S, Tran T, Singh K, Joshi K, Aboian M, Kluger H, Chiang V. Patterns of brain metastases response to immunotherapy with pembrolizumab. Journal Of Neuro-Oncology 2024, 169: 555-561. PMID: 38963658, DOI: 10.1007/s11060-024-04754-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNon-small cell lung cancerBrain metastasesComplete resolutionLung cancerMedian time to CNS progressionLesion progressionNon-small cell lung cancer patientsModified RECIST criteriaPD-1 inhibitorsTrial of pembrolizumabEffective systemic treatmentResponse to immunotherapyPhase II trialCell lung cancerMethodsThis retrospective studyLocal treatment decisionsPurposeCentral nervous systemCNS progressionRECIST criteriaPD-1Local therapySystemic treatmentMRI evaluationResponse assessmentRetrospective studySpatially Informed Gene Signatures for Response to Immunotherapy in Melanoma.
Aung T, Warrell J, Martinez-Morilla S, Gavrielatou N, Vathiotis I, Yaghoobi V, Kluger H, Gerstein M, Rimm D. Spatially Informed Gene Signatures for Response to Immunotherapy in Melanoma. Clinical Cancer Research 2024, 30: 3520-3532. PMID: 38837895, PMCID: PMC11326985, DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-3932.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsGene signatureResistance to immunotherapyResponse to immunotherapyPrediction of treatment outcomeResistant to treatmentAccurate prediction of treatment outcomePredictive of responseImmunotherapy outcomesMelanoma patientsMelanoma specimensValidation cohortPatient stratificationDiscovery cohortTreatment outcomesImmunotherapyMelanomaTumorPatientsCohortS100BOutcomesGene expression dataGenesCD68+macrophagesExpression dataCauses of death and patterns of metastatic disease at the end of life for patients with advanced melanoma in the immunotherapy era.
Lee D, Yang A, McNamara M, Kluger H, Tran T, Olino K, Clune J, Sznol M, Ishizuka J. Causes of death and patterns of metastatic disease at the end of life for patients with advanced melanoma in the immunotherapy era. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2024, 42: e21522-e21522. DOI: 10.1200/jco.2024.42.16_suppl.e21522.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsImmune checkpoint inhibitorsYale Cancer CenterAdvanced melanomaMetastatic diseaseMetastatic melanomaRespiratory failureSite of metastatic diseasePattern of metastatic diseaseDied of respiratory failureAnti-CTLA4 treatmentRetrospective observational cohort studyAnti-PD1 therapyDistant lymph nodesPatients aged >Site of diseaseSurvival of patientsObservational cohort studyMulti-system involvementDiagnosis to deathImmunotherapy eraAnti-PD1Checkpoint inhibitorsInstitutional review boardMetastatic sitesMetastatic diagnosis
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
Impact of cancer immunotherapy on the kidneys
HIC ID2000033212RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date07/31/2032Recruiting ParticipantsA Phase 1a Open-Label, Dose-Escalation, and a Phase 2 Study to Investigate the Safety, PK, PD, and Clinical Activity of ST-067 Administered Subcutaneously as Monotherapy in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Solid Tumors
HIC ID2000030299RolePrincipal InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date06/30/2024Recruiting ParticipantsA Multicenter Phase 2 Trial to Evaluate Intracranial Response to Pembrolizumab and Lenvatinib in Patients With Brain Metastases From Melanoma or Renal Cell Carcinoma Who Are Anti-PD1/PD-L1 Experienced
HIC ID2000030391RolePrincipal InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date01/31/2027Recruiting ParticipantsA Phase 1/2, First-In-Human, Multi-Part, Open-Label, Multiple-Ascending Dose Study to Investigate the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, Biological, and Clinical Activity of DF6002 as a Monotherapy and in Combination With Nivolumab in Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors, and Expansion in Selected Indications
HIC ID2000029137RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date07/19/2024Recruiting ParticipantsPhase 2 Trial of Voyager V1 in Combination With Cemiplimab in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Melanoma or Endometrial Carcinoma
HIC ID2000027272RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date03/01/2024Recruiting Participants
Clinical Care
Overview
Dr. Kluger is a medical oncologist who sees patients with melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. Her research interests focus on developing new drug regimens and biomarkers predictive of response to therapies in melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. She participates in a number of clinical trials studying new agents for the treatment of these diseases, both targeting the immune system and the cancer cell. She runs an active research laboratory that studies tumor and immune cells from patients treated with novel therapies to determine mechanisms of resistance to therapy and mediators of toxicity from immune checkpoint inhibitors. The laboratory also conducts pre-clinical studies to improve treatment regimens for patients with melanoma, renal cell carcinoma or brain metastasis.
Clinical Specialties
Fact Sheets
Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC)
Learn More on Yale MedicineMetastatic Cancer
Learn More on Yale MedicineMelanoma
Learn More on Yale MedicineSkin Cancer
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Yale Medicine News
Are You a Patient?
View this doctor's clinical profile on the Yale Medicine website for information about the services we offer and making an appointment.
View Doctor ProfileNews & Links
News
- December 04, 2024
Accolades, Awards & Honors
- November 28, 2024
Unexpected Findings in Study of T Cells, Considered Front-line Fighters Against Advanced Melanoma
- November 10, 2024
Advances Improving & Prolonging Lives
- September 19, 2024
Gift to Advance Cancer Treatment by Targeting Toxic Side Effects
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Contacts
Administrative Support
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Are You a Patient? View this doctor's clinical profile on the Yale Medicine website for information about the services we offer and making an appointment.
Events
School Only Joseph Ross, MD, MHS - Cary Gross, MD
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