In recent years, many studies demonstrated that harnessing the immune system has great potential and promising outcomes for cancer treatment. However, immune regulation within the tumor microenvironment (TME) is highly complicated and involves multiple factors, making the development of effective cancer immunotherapies challenging. To address these difficulties, my research will focus on critical proteins located on the T cell membrane, including newly identified checkpoints, chemokine receptors, Ca2+ channels, and amino acid transporters, that play essential roles in immune regulation within the TME. Using state-of-the-art bioc...

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In recent years, many studies demonstrated that harnessing the immune system has great potential and promising outcomes for cancer treatment. However, immune regulation within the tumor microenvironment (TME) is highly complicated and involves multiple factors, making the development of effective cancer immunotherapies challenging. To address these difficulties, my research will focus on critical proteins located on the T cell membrane, including newly identified checkpoints, chemokine receptors, Ca2+ channels, and amino acid transporters, that play essential roles in immune regulation within the TME. Using state-of-the-art biochemistry and structural biology, I aim to achieve the following goals: 1) Determine the structures of proteins of interest in complex with their ligands and substrates. Structural analysis combined with biochemical and cell biological assays will uncover the working mechanisms of these proteins; 2) Identify new binding partners and regulators of these proteins of interest in physiological conditions by purifying the natural protein complexes endogenously, followed by analyses of these complexes with cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), Mass spectrometry (MS), and AlphaFold-based modeling; 3) Develop monoclonal antibodies and small molecular drugs that target the proteins of interest. These antibodies will be utilized for cryo-EM studies, endogenous purification, and therapeutic purposes. By achieving these goals, my work will provide new insights into the complex interactions between the immune system and the TME and pave the way for the development of novel reagents that can be used in both basic cancer research and cancer immunotherapies.

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