Department of Dermatology

You Lab

We are interested in understanding how tumor progression induces the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment leading to the subversion of naturally occurring or vaccine/therapy-induced tumor-specific immune responses and the resistances to oncogene (e.g. Braf) and/or immune checkpoint (e.g. PD1) inhibitors, and developing vaccine/adoptive T cell transfer-based strategies to modulate the immune system to elicit broad, durable and effective tumor-specific T cells, which infiltrate into tumors and are functional in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, against cancers including Braf and/or PD1 treatment-resistant variants, thereby benefiting the majority of cancer patients. Findings from our preclinical studies by using clinically-reflective models such as spontaneous metastatic breast cancer, endogenous melanoma, and ex vivo human skin explants and immune cells will lead to the design of treatments for cancers including Braf and/or PD1 inhibitor-resistant tumors and support future collaboration with clinicians to translate such strategies in clinic. 

 

Dr. You's publications can be reviewed here