Deng Pan, M.D., Ph.D., Robertson Foundation Fellow Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Due to its incredible power and precision, the immune system is capable of eliminating cancer cells throughout the body. However, tumors can also exploit tricks to escape immune detection and elimination, so Dr. Deng Pan is systematically identifying and characterizing these mechanisms. Toward this goal, his team has developed a genome-wide screening system, which has allowed them to identify more than 200 genes involved in immune regulation. Further investigation should greatly advance our knowledge of additional tumor-associated immune resistance mechanisms, which will serve as the basis of developing novel immunotherapy strategies and lead to a comprehensive and systematic understanding of how tumor cells avoid the clearance by the T cells.

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