The bacteria that live inside our bodies — collectively known as the microbiome — play a major role in human health, including how patients respond to cancer immunotherapy. Yet scientists still do not fully understand how bacteria communicate with the immune system or why certain microbes improve responses to treatment while others do not.
Dr. Whiteley studies the molecular “language” bacteria use to influence human immune signaling. Over the past decade, his laboratory helped uncover that some important human immune pathways actually originated in bacteria more than a billion years ago. One of these shared pathways, called cGAS-STING, is now recognized as a critical driver of successful cancer immunotherapy. This project focuses on newly discovered bacterial enzymes that produce molecules capable of activating the human STING pathway. Dr. Whiteley will identify these bacterial compounds and build experimental systems to understand precisely how they influence immune responses.
The long-term goal is to translate this molecular communication system between bacteria and human cells — essentially creating a “Rosetta Stone” for microbiome-immune interactions. Using this knowledge, Dr. Whiteley hopes to design customized probiotics that can boost anti-cancer immunity and improve patient responses to existing immunotherapies. This research could open an entirely new frontier in cancer treatment by harnessing beneficial bacteria to strengthen the immune system and make immunotherapy more effective for many patients.
Research Focus
Broad Cancer Relevance
Projects and Grants
Impact of cryptic enzymes from the microbiome on cancer immunotherapy
