Nicholas DeVito

Nicholas DeVito

Medical Oncologist

Colorectal Oncology, Gastrointestinal Oncology

Duke University School of Medicine

Location USA, Durham

Linkedin

Dr. Nicholas DeVito is a medical oncologist and physician-scientist at Duke Cancer Institute, where he serves as Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology). He treats patients with colorectal, pancreatic, and esophagogastric cancers while conducting laboratory and translational research focused on tumor immune evasion and immunotherapy resistance, particularly in the metastatic setting. His research program centers on how tumors suppress the immune system when they spread, with a specific focus on tumor-mediated dendritic cell tolerization, suppressive myeloid populations, and oncogenic signaling pathways including GLI2, WNT, and prostaglandin signaling. Dr. DeVito’s long-term goal is to develop biomarker-directed immunotherapies for advanced gastrointestinal cancers. He leads and participates in multiple early-phase clinical trials in colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, and esophageal cancers, including the BBOpCo study of botensilimab plus balstilimab in colorectal cancer.

Current Positions

  • Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, 2023–present
  • Member, Duke Cancer Institute, 2018–present
  • Attending Physician, Duke Cancer Center Gastrointestinal (GI) Clinic, Durham, North Carolina

Education

  • MD, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, 2012
  • Residency, Internal Medicine, Tufts Medical Center (Tufts University School of Medicine), Boston, Massachusetts, 2012–2015
  • Fellowship, Hematology/Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, 2015–2018

Board Certifications

  • Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine
  • Medical Oncology, American Board of Internal Medicine

Professional Experience

  • Medical Instructor, Department of Medicine, Duke University, past appointment
  • Assistant Professor of Medicine, Medical Oncology, Duke University School of Medicine, 2023–present
  • Member, Duke Cancer Institute, 2018–present

Research Activity

  • Tumor immune evasion and immunotherapy resistance: Research focused on mechanisms by which tumors, particularly colorectal and gastroesophageal cancers, evade immune detection during metastasis; investigates tumor-mediated dendritic cell tolerization and suppressive myeloid cell populations as drivers of checkpoint inhibitor resistance
  • GLI2/WNT/prostaglandin signaling axis: Published landmark study in Cancer Research (2025) demonstrating that GLI2 coordinates WNT and prostaglandin signaling to promote tumor immune evasion and immunotherapeutic resistance; prior funded work on WNT ligand-mediated immune tolerance in melanoma (Conquer Cancer Foundation, 2017–2018) and EMT-mediated dendritic cell tolerization in checkpoint inhibitor resistance (Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, 2018–2022)
  • NLRP3 pathway and immunotherapy resistance: Research on tumor NLRP3 amplification suppressing MHC class I expression to promote immunotherapy resistance; funded AACR study on the NLRP3-HSP70 axis in gastric cancer (2023–2024); preprint published 2025
  • Tumor extracellular vesicles: Collaborative research on how tumor-derived extracellular vesicles trigger dendritic cell stress responses to promote immune evasion
  • Drug-immune interaction research: Co-author of Journal of Clinical Oncology (2026) guidance on common medications that influence immunotherapy response in solid tumors
  • GLP-1 receptor agonists and immunotherapy: Co-investigator on multi-institutional retrospective cohort study associating GLP-1 receptor agonists with improved response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in solid tumors (AACR 2026)
  • Botensilimab/balstilimab in colorectal cancer (BBOpCo): Principal investigator at Duke of the BBOpCo study optimizing the Fc-enhanced anti-CTLA-4/anti-PD-1 combination in colorectal cancer; funded by Agenus and Gateway for Cancer Research (2024–2029)
  • Neoadjuvant hepatic artery chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer: Co-investigator on a window-of-opportunity trial of neoadjuvant hepatic artery chemotherapy for localized pancreatic cancer (Annals of Surgical Oncology, 2025)
  • Colorectal cancer immune microenvironment: Translational research on the effect of chemotherapy on spatial relationships in the colorectal cancer tumor microenvironment (AACR 2026)

Active Clinical Trials (Select)

  •  Features of Primary and Adaptive Immunotherapy Resistance in Microsatellite Instable Cancers (NCT: NA)
  • Botensilimab and Balstilimab Optimization in Colorectal Cancer (BBOpCo) (Agenus / Gateway for Cancer Research), 2024–2029
  • A Phase 1/1b Study of ASP2138 (Anti-CLDN18.2) in Gastric/GEJ and Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (Astellas), NCT05365581
  • A Phase 1b Study of Neoadjuvant ASP2138 in Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma with CLDN18.2 Expression (Astellas), NCT07024615
  • Study Drug PT886 (Spevatamig) for Gastric and Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (PT886X1101), NCT05482893
  • ABBV-514 Monotherapy and Combination with Budigalimab/Bevacizumab in NSCLC, HNSCC, and Solid Tumors, NCT05005403
  • Drug GSK5764227 for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (Phase 1b/2), NCT06885034
  • DSP107 in Combination with Atezolizumab vs. Fruquintinib in MSS Colorectal Cancer (Randomized Phase 2b), NCT07235293
  • MAP: XTX101 (Vilastobart) Monotherapy and/or Combination in Advanced Solid Tumors
  • Claudin 18.2-Targeted CAR-T Cells in Gastric/GEJ/Esophageal Cancer (Legend Biotech), 2025–2030

Grants and Funded Research (Select)

  • Principal Investigator, DSP107 in Combination with Atezolizumab versus Fruquintinib in Advanced MSS Colorectal Cancer (Kahr Bio Australia), 2026–2031
  • Principal Investigator, GSK5764227 Alone and in Combination in Previously Treated Advanced GI Solid Tumors (GlaxoSmithKline), 2025–2030
  • Principal Investigator, ASP2138 Neoadjuvant Study in Resectable PDAC (Astellas Pharma), 2025–2030
  • Principal Investigator, Claudin 18.2-Targeted CAR-T Cells in Gastric/GEJ/Esophageal Cancer (Legend Biotech), 2025–2030
  • Principal Investigator, BBOpCo — Botensilimab and Balstilimab Optimization in Colorectal Cancer (Agenus), 2024–2029
  • Principal Investigator, XTX101 (Vilastobart) Monotherapy and Combination in Advanced Solid Tumors (Xilio Development), 2024–2029
  • Principal Investigator, ASP2138 Phase 1/1b in Gastric/GEJ/Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (Astellas), 2024–2029
  • Principal Investigator, BBOpCo (Gateway for Cancer Research), 2024–2027
  • Principal Investigator, Overcoming Anti-PD-1 Resistance in Melanoma by Targeting GLI2 Pathway (Melanoma Research Foundation), 2022–2025
  • Principal Investigator, ASP2074 Phase 1/1b in Metastatic/Locally Advanced Solid Tumors (Astellas), 2024–2025
  • Principal Investigator, NLRP3-HSP70 Axis and Immunotherapy Resistance in Gastric Cancer (American Association for Cancer Research), 2023–2024
  • Principal Investigator, MRTX849 Expanded Access in KRAS G12C–Mutant Advanced Solid Tumors (Mirati Therapeutics), 2022–2024
  • Principal Investigator, EMT-mediated Dendritic Cell Tolerization in Checkpoint Inhibitor Resistance (Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation), 2018–2022
  • Principal Investigator, WNT Ligand-mediated Immune Tolerance in Melanoma (Conquer Cancer Foundation / ASCO), 2017–2018

Areas of Specialization

  • Medical oncology — colorectal, pancreatic, esophagogastric, and gastric cancers
  • Tumor immunology and immunotherapy
  • Tumor immune evasion and checkpoint inhibitor resistance in metastatic disease
  • Dendritic cell tolerization and suppressive myeloid populations in cancer
  • GLI2/WNT/prostaglandin oncogenic signaling and immune evasion
  • NLRP3-mediated immunotherapy resistance
  • Biomarker-directed immunotherapy for GI cancers
  • Early-phase clinical trials in gastrointestinal oncology
  • Claudin 18.2-targeted therapies in gastric and pancreatic cancer
  • Drug-immune interaction effects on cancer immunotherapy outcomes
  • Cancer of unknown primary

Publications

Select Recent Publications:

DeVito NC, Gray E, Schrum D, Antonia S. “Addressing Common Medications That Influence Immunotherapy Response in Solid Tumors.” Journal of Clinical Oncology 44(7):529–533, March 2026.

DeVito NC, Nguyen Y-V, Sturdivant M, Plebanek MP, Villarreal KA, Yarla N, Jain V, et al. “GLI2 Facilitates Tumor Immune Evasion and Immunotherapeutic Resistance by Coordinating WNT and Prostaglandin Signaling.” Cancer Research 85(9):1644–1662, May 2025.

Theivanthiran B, Yarla N, Villareal K, Nguyen Y-V, Cao L, Calderin EP, Plebanek MP, DeVito NC, et al. “Tumor NLRP3 Amplification Promotes Immunotherapy Resistance by Suppressing MHC Class I Expression.” MedRxiv, October 2025.

Saeed A, Overman MJ, Henry JT, Spira AI, Fei N, DeVito NC, Uboha NV, et al. “Phase 1/2 study of spevatamig (PT886) in combination with gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel in frontline treatment of metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.” Journal of Clinical Oncology 44:709, ASCO 2026.

Shitara K, Choi HJ, Dayyani F, Kazmi S, Korakis I, Moy RH, O’Reilly EM, DeVito NC, et al. “ASP2138 monotherapy in patients with CLDN18.2+ advanced solid tumors: Phase I/Ib trial.” Annals of Oncology 36:S1121, 2025.

Chang CH, DeVito NC, Li K, Shi C, Hickey J, Cano RR, Roper J, Lidsky M. “Effect of Chemotherapy on Spatial Relationships in the Colorectal Cancer Immune Microenvironment.” Cancer Immunology Research 14:C025, AACR 2026.

Eysha M, Elchouemi M, Fouani M, Khasawneh B, Black M, Zhang W, Schrum D, DeVito NC, et al. “GLP-1 receptor agonists associated with improved response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in solid tumors: a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study.” Cancer Immunology Research 14:B041, AACR 2026.

Wang M, Plebanek M, Villarreal K, DeVito NC, Theivanthiran B, Hanks BA. “Tumor extracellular vesicles trigger a dendritic cell stress response to promote immune evasion and immunotherapy resistance.” Cancer Research 85:916, AACR 2025.

Agritelley ES, Kanu EN, Bao J, Fletcher AA, Button JL, Skinner H, Molvin A, DeVito NC, et al. “A window-of-opportunity trial using neoadjuvant hepatic artery chemotherapy for patients with localized pancreas cancer: Interim safety, feasibility, and oncologic outcomes.” Annals of Surgical Oncology 32:S223–24, 2025.

DeVito NC. “Cancer, you fascist mass.” May 8, 2025.

All information is sourced from publicly available materials.