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 and Hematology
ProfessorPrimaryDermatology
ProfessorSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Dermatology
- Developmental Therapeutics
- Discovery to Cure Internship
- Internal Medicine
- K12 Calabresi Immuno-Oncology Training Program (IOTP)
- Medical Oncology
- Medical Oncology and Hematology
- 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 Collaborative Excellence
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
ORCID
0000-0002-4932-9873- 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
Veronica Chiang, MD, FAANS
Robert Camp, PhD, MD
Sarah Weiss, MD
Melanoma
Medical Oncology
Publications
2025
Long-term Efficacy and Safety of Lifileucel Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) Cell Therapy in Patients with Advanced Melanoma: A 5-year Analysis of the C-144-01 Study.
Medina T, Chesney J, Kluger H, Hamid O, Whitman E, Cusnir M, Thomas S, Wermke M, Domingo-Musibay E, Phan G, Kirkwood J, Larkin J, Weber J, Graf Finckenstein F, Chou J, Gastman B, Wu X, Fiaz R, Sarnaik A, Curti B, Kim K, Daniels G, Wilson M, Lee S, Puzanov I, Harker-Murray A, Logan T, Simon J, Thomas I, Schuler-Thurner B, Moritz R, Hassel J, Grigoliet G, Arance A, Rubio B, Rodriguez J, Berrocal A, de Sanmamed M, Arkenau H, Evans T, Corrie P, Dalle S, Bedane C, Olah J, Orcurto A. Long-term Efficacy and Safety of Lifileucel Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) Cell Therapy in Patients with Advanced Melanoma: A 5-year Analysis of the C-144-01 Study. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2025, 101200jco2500765. PMID: 40454684, DOI: 10.1200/jco-25-00765.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsTumor-infiltrating lymphocytesOverall survivalLong-term efficacyCell therapyMedian duration of responseLow tumor burdenMedian overall survivalDuration of responseTumor burden reductionLong-term safety concernsBRAF/MEK inhibitorsAdvanced melanomaBrain metastasesImmune checkpointsTumor burdenMedian durationSafety profileAdverse eventsTreatment optionsInterleukin-2Follow-upLong-term benefitsOverall populationPatientsCutoff dateValidation and refinement of Society of Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) definitions for PD-(L)1 resistance: An analysis of more than 1,300 participants from SWOG.
Othus M, Kurzrock R, Patel S, Chae Y, Patel S, Sosman J, Snyder Charen A, Rizvi N, LaVallee T, Felquate D, Burton E, Futreal P, Sullivan R, Kluger H, Tawbi H. Validation and refinement of Society of Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) definitions for PD-(L)1 resistance: An analysis of more than 1,300 participants from SWOG. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2025, 43: 2656-2656. DOI: 10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.2656.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOverall survivalMartingale residual plotsAdjuvant settingPD-(L)1Shorter OSNo significant differencePrimary resistanceAssociated with significantly shorter OSHazard ratioHigh-risk resected stagePD-(L)1 inhibitorsImmunotherapy of cancerSignificant differenceConfidence intervalsCox regression modelsClinical trial interpretationAdjuvant cohortAdjuvant pembrolizumabImmunotherapy resistanceLate recurrenceResected stageEarly recurrenceSWOG trialsIO agentsPatient cohortLifileucel in patients with advanced melanoma: 5-year outcomes of the C-144-01 study.
Medina T, Chesney J, Kluger H, Hamid O, Whitman E, Cusnir M, Thomas S, Wermke M, Domingo-Musibay E, Phan G, Kirkwood J, Larkin J, Weber J, Finckenstein F, Chou J, Gastman B, Sulur G, Wu R, Fiaz R, Sarnaik A. Lifileucel in patients with advanced melanoma: 5-year outcomes of the C-144-01 study. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2025, 43: 9515-9515. DOI: 10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.9515.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsDuration of responseAnti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapyAdvanced melanomaFollow-upOverall survivalEastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance statusAnti-PD-1/PD-L1Autologous T-cell immunotherapyMedian duration of responseTreatment-emergent adverse eventsDoses of interleukin-2Treatment of adult patientsImmune checkpoint inhibitorsT-cell immunotherapyTumor-infiltrating lymphocytesDurability of responseLong-term safety concernsOpen-label studyStudy follow-upGroup of ptsMedian OSRefractory melanomaCheckpoint inhibitorsOS ratesRECIST v1.1Role of high-dose interleukin-2 for melanoma in the age of cellular therapy
Buchbinder E, Lotze M, Margolin K, Amaria R, Sarnaik A, Seery V, Eroglu Z, Khaddour K, Warner A, Kluger H, Sznol M, Atkins M, Mcdermott D, Silk A. Role of high-dose interleukin-2 for melanoma in the age of cellular therapy. Journal For ImmunoTherapy Of Cancer 2025, 13: e011119. PMID: 40447314, PMCID: PMC12128428, DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2024-011119.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsTumor-infiltrating lymphocytesTIL infusionInterleukin-2Cellular therapyHigh-dose bolus IL-2High-dose interleukin-2Renal cell carcinoma patientsBolus interleukin-2Cytokine-related toxicitiesExcellent organ functionIL-2 monotherapyIL-2 toxicityLife-threatening side effectsPartial tumor regressionCell carcinoma patientsInterleukin-2 dosesT cell productionTreatment of patientsNational Cancer InstituteAdvanced melanomaTumor regressionCarcinoma patientsAdjunctive therapyInpatient administrationSide effectsPRAME is not a frequently expressed antigen in renal cell carcinoma
Yi I, Ofir Y, Mann J, Su D, Kim T, Perales O, Zhang L, Adeniran A, Kluger H, Schoenfeld D. PRAME is not a frequently expressed antigen in renal cell carcinoma. BJUI Compass 2025, 6: e70037. PMID: 40453487, PMCID: PMC12123051, DOI: 10.1002/bco2.70037.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMIF as an oncogenic driver of low‐heterogeneity melanomas
Tran T, Sánchez‐Zuno G, Kulkarni R, Kluger H, Bucala R. MIF as an oncogenic driver of low‐heterogeneity melanomas. Molecular Oncology 2025, 19: 1295-1298. PMID: 40131169, PMCID: PMC12077282, DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.70031.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMacrophage migration inhibitory factorImproving therapeutic outcomesMigration inhibitory factorPotential therapeutic utilityImmune landscapeMelanoma clonesImmune escapeT cellsImmunoregulatory cytokinesTumor heterogeneityTumor progressionOncogenic driversPathway inhibitorTherapeutic outcomesTumor evolutionInhibitory factorCell proliferationMelanomaTumorCellsAntagonistCytokinesMicroglial reprogramming: a potential new frontier in enhancing immunotherapy for melanoma brain metastasis
Savion‐Gaiger N, Bar‐Ziv D, Kluger H. Microglial reprogramming: a potential new frontier in enhancing immunotherapy for melanoma brain metastasis. Molecular Oncology 2025, 19: 1291-1294. PMID: 40111148, PMCID: PMC12077281, DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.70028.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMelanoma brain metastasesBrain metastasesSites of metastatic disseminationHuman brain metastasesAdvanced melanomaEnhance immunotherapyMurine studiesTumor microenvironmentMetastatic disseminationMyeloid cellsMelanoma cellsMelanomaMetastasisMicroglial cellsPotential new frontiersCellsBrainImmunotherapyTumorMicroenvironmentPhase II Trial of Pembrolizumab in Combination With Bevacizumab for Untreated Melanoma Brain Metastases
Weiss S, Djureinovic D, Wei W, Tran T, Austin M, Markowitz J, Eroglu Z, Khushalani N, Hegde U, Cohen J, Sznol M, Anderson G, Johnson B, Piteo C, Mahajan A, Adeniran A, Jilaveanu L, Goldberg S, Chiang V, Forsyth P, Kluger H. Phase II Trial of Pembrolizumab in Combination With Bevacizumab for Untreated Melanoma Brain Metastases. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2025, 43: 1685-1694. PMID: 40048689, PMCID: PMC12058415, DOI: 10.1200/jco-24-02219.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsMelanoma brain metastasesOverall survivalBrain metastasesAnti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapyMedian intracranial progression-free survivalFour-year OS ratesIntracranial progression-free survivalResponse rateCirculating angiopoietin-2Median overall survivalTrial of pembrolizumabYears of pembrolizumabDose of bevacizumabProgression-free survivalPhase II trialGrowth factor therapyAdverse event ratesAssociated with responseOS ratesPD-1Radiation necrosisLocal therapyOn-therapyMetastatic tumorsFactor therapyReal-world outcomes with T-VEC in patients with anti-PD-1 resistant in-transit disease from melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma
Su D, McNamara M, Kaszycki M, Frey A, Ishizuka J, Costa P, Tran T, Kluger H, Clune J, Weiss S, Olino K. Real-world outcomes with T-VEC in patients with anti-PD-1 resistant in-transit disease from melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma. Surgical Oncology Insight 2025, 2: 100120. DOI: 10.1016/j.soi.2024.100120.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMerkel cell carcinomaMerkel cell carcinoma casesT-VECCell carcinomaMedian numberAnti-PD-1 blockadeStage IIIB-IV melanomaAdvanced Merkel cell carcinomaIn-transit melanomaIn-transit diseaseICI therapyTalimogene laherparepvecAdvanced melanomaCancer immunotherapyMetastatic sitesPartial responseIn-transitRegional metastasesMedian ageGrade 3Adverse eventsTreatment cyclesDisease progressionMelanomaPatientsSurvival of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma with or without brain metastases.
Hurwitz M, Considine B, Hasson N, Savion Gaiger N, Nelson M, Chiang V, Kluger H, Braun D, Schoenfeld D, Sznol M, Leapman M. Survival of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma with or without brain metastases. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2025, 43: 476-476. DOI: 10.1200/jco.2025.43.5_suppl.476.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsMetastatic renal cell carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitorsClear cell RCCRenal cell carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitor therapyMetastatic clear cell RCCBrain metastasesOverall survivalCell carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitor eraPrevalence of brain metastasesMultivariate Cox proportional hazards modelAssociated with poor survivalMedian overall survivalAssociated with poor prognosisCompare overall survivalImproved overall survivalAdverse prognostic indicatorDevelopment of BMSurvival of patientsKaplan-Meier analysisYale Cancer CenterRetrospective cohort studyCox proportional hazards modelsProportional hazards model
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
Melanoma Margins Trial-II - A Phase III, Multi-centre Randomised Controlled Trial Investigating 1cm v 2cm Wide Surgical Excision Margins for AJCC Stage II Primary Cutaneous Melanoma (02.18 MelMarT-II)
HIC ID2000033087RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date12/31/2029Recruiting ParticipantsImpact 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 Date06/30/2025Recruiting 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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