The bacteria that live inside our bodies \u2014 collectively known as the microbiome \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Whiteley studies the molecular \u201clanguage\u201d 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The long-term goal is to translate this molecular communication system between bacteria and human cells \u2014 essentially creating a \u201cRosetta Stone\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Impact of cryptic enzymes from the microbiome on cancer immunotherapy<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The bacteria that live inside our bodies \u2014 collectively known as the microbiome \u2014 play a major role in human health, including how patients respond to cancer immunotherapy. Yet scientists still do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":39082,"template":"","tax_cancer_type":[455],"tax_grant_type":[482],"tax_award_year":[881],"tax_institutions":[637],"tax_location_states":[638],"class_list":["post-39094","cri_scientists","type-cri_scientists","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"scientist_subhead":"Lloyd J. Old STAR","quote":"The STAR program means we're going to be able to take the leaps we proposed, probably find some new leaps that we didn't know were coming, and spend time doing the science that's actually going to move the needle.","scientist_last_name":"Whiteley","show_on_landing":true,"scientist_publish_until":"20310612"},"yoast_head":"\n