Bo Hu, Ph.D., Leonard Kahn Fellow Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

While obesity has been shown to be a significant risk factor for certain diseases, the link between obesity and cancer is still not well understood. Recent studies have shown that adipocytes—fat cells—are found within tumors and, through metabolic competition, may even contribute to the suppression of immune cells there. To define the roles of adipocytes within tumors and their effects on immune responses, Dr. Bo Hu is investigating transcription factors that regulate the activity of adipocytes and possibly immune cells too. By deciphering the effects of these factors in different cell types as well as their influence on anti-tumor immune activity, Dr. Hu aims to elucidate the mechanism underlying the metabolic competition between cancer cells and immune cells. These insights could then be utilized in the development of novel immunotherapy strategies.

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