Our Science

From immune mechanisms to engineered medicines

 

The Center for Cellular Therapies and Cancer Immunology (CCTCI) begins with the biology of patients. Using genomics, single-cell and spatial profiling, functional screens, and computational modeling, our investigators define the immune-cell states and molecular circuits that determine whether immunity recognizes disease, persists under pressure, becomes exhausted, or turns against healthy tissue. Bringing together immunologists with experts in cell, protein, genome, epigenome, and chemical engineering, CCTCI translates these biological insights into next-generation immunotherapies. 

The focus is on overcoming the biological barriers that have limited cellular therapies in solid tumors while applying the same discovery-and-engineering framework to autoimmune and other immune-mediated diseases. By uniting fundamental immunology with advanced engineering, CCTCI aims to develop safer, more effective therapies for a broad range of human diseases.

How does it work?

What We Are Creating?

• Durable Cellular Therapies

  Engineered T cells designed to resist exhaustion, remain functional in immunosuppressive environments, and sustain antitumor activity.

• Programmable Immune Cells

  Synthetic receptors, cytokines, and signaling circuits that control when, where, and how an immune cell acts.

• Genome- and Epigenome-Engineered Therapies

  Precise modifications that direct immune-cell identity, activation, persistence, and therapeutic function.

• Human Immune Maps

  Single-cell, spatial, and computational models of tumors and immune-mediated diseases that reveal therapeutic targets, response biomarkers, and mechanisms of resistance.