Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming cancer drug development by enabling scientists to design entirely new protein-based therapies. Among the most promising are tiny engineered proteins called “minibinders,” which can direct the immune system to recognize and destroy tumors. However, a major unanswered question remains: will the human immune system mistakenly recognize these AI-designed proteins as foreign and reject them?
Dr. Palmeri is an immunoengineer focused on developing next-generation cancer immunotherapies. During his doctoral work at MIT, he engineered innovative antibody therapies that remained anchored within tumors, improving anti-cancer activity while reducing dangerous side effects. His research also uncovered important mechanisms controlling T cell activation inside tumors.
In his research, he will investigate the safety of AI-designed protein therapies by studying what makes them immunogenic — capable of triggering unwanted immune reactions. Using computational protein design, cell culture systems, and mouse models, Dr. Palmeri will engineer variants of AI-designed proteins containing different immune-triggering features and determine how their structural stability influences immune recognition.
The goal is to uncover the rules that determine whether the body views these proteins as safe or foreign. This knowledge could help scientists design future AI-generated cancer therapies that are both highly effective and “immunologically silent,” reducing side effects while improving long-term treatment success. As AI-designed medicines move closer to clinical use, this work could play a critical role in ensuring their safe introduction into patients.
Mentor
Caleb Lareau, PhD
Projects and Grants
Interrogating the immunogenicity of de novo AI-designed protein minibinder therapeutics
