In our recent study just published in Cancer Immunology Research, we identified Tumor-Associated Antigen (TAA) burden as a key biomarker for predicting the success of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy in cancer patients who lack traditional markers like PD-L1 and tumor mutation burden (TMB). By developing a novel algorithm to quantify TAA burden, we discovered that patients with high TAA burden, especially those with low T-cell exhaustion, showed significantly better responses to ICB therapy. This finding is particularly crucial for patients who are negative for PD-L1 and TMB, offering new hope for those who otherwise have limited access to immunotherapy. Our research focused on various cancer types, including urothelial carcinoma…

The fight against the most lethal form of breast cancer, Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), has received a substantial boost. A pioneering project from our lab has been awarded a prestigious breakthrough grant from the Department of Defense for its study on intragenic rearrangement burden in breast cancer precision immuno-oncology. TNBC accounts for 10-20% of breast cancer morbidity but a disproportionally high mortality rate, highlighting the urgent need for more effective and precision treatment. This project aims to characterize a major new class of cryptic genetic aberrations, called intragenic rearrangements, potentially revolutionizing neoantigen estimation and the effectiveness of Immune Checkpoint Blockade (ICB) therapy. Current predictive biomarkers in TNBC and other cancers…

Dr. Renu Sharma will join our lab in March. Dr. Sharma graduated from Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, where she studied the stages-specific functions of BMP4, RHOA-ROCK, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in breast cancer formation, progression, and therapeutic resistance using various cell and molecular biology approaches. Her research interests include computational genomics, complex molecular dynamics, and translational medical research. Dr. Sharma will be working on the identification and characterisation of recurrent structural mutations driving tumour progression, immune evasion, metastasis, and therapy resistance in breast cancer, elucidating the engaged signaling pathways, examining their oncogenic potential and immunobiology in the in vivo context, and explore therapeutic vulnerabilities of these lethal tumours. Welcome Dr.…

A new discovery from our lab reveals that tumors with a high intragenic rearrangement (IGR) burden may respond more favorably to immune checkpoint blockades, offering a new hope for cancer patients that have a low tumor mutation burden. This discovery may pave the way to more effective immunotherapy treatments in the future. See News Releases:   A new genetic biomarker to predict immunotherapy success Drug Target Review, 16 Feb 2024 Tumours with a greater IGR burden could respond better to immune checkpoint blockades, advancing precise treatments for patients.   New test could predict immunotherapy responders for broader range of cancers than current tools MedicalXpress, 13 Feb 2024 A newly identified genetic marker…

Dr. Yolanda received the Women’s Cancer Research and Education Pilot Award. This is the first time our lab received this award. Congratulations!

Welcome Dr. Chuang Yang joining our lab! Dr. Yang graduated from Nanjing Medical University. Before joining Wang lab, he worked as a breast surgeon at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. His research interests include translational medicine research in breast diseases and molecular biological mechanisms related to breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. He has extensive experience in various molecular biological experiments and animal model construction. His research will focus on the identification and characterization of novel molecular targets for cancer therapy through the combination of bioinformatics and molecular biology techniques. Welcome to our group and Hillman Cancer Center!

Our lab is awarded Breakthrough Level 2 Award from the Congressionally Directed Breast Cancer Research Program of the Department of Defense, the second break-through award we received in a consecutive year. This award will support the study of BCL2L14-ETV6 fusions in more aggressive and chemo-resistant triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and examine their function in cancer progression and immunotherapy resistance. Recurrent gene fusions that bring together two gene pieces comprise a class of viable genetic targets that have been matched with several latest breakthrough therapies in solid tumors as exemplified by the ALK targeted therapy against ALK fusions and the first FDA-approved tumor-agnostic drug against NTRK fusions. The pathological roles of…

Congratulations to Dr. Bashir Lawal for receiving the “Gottfried Family Women’s Health Fellowship Award” from Foundation of Women Wellness (FWW) for his research project “Functional and mechanistic characterization of kinase intragenic rearrangements in high-grade serous carcinoma progression and recurrence”. FWW Fellowship Awards recognize and support emerging physicians and scientists working on critical women’s health projects.  High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) accounts for up to 80% of ovarian cancer mortality, and overall survival has not been improved for decades due to the lack of actionable genetic drivers. Bashir’s work is focused on evaluating the oncogenic function of kinase intragenic rearrangements and examine the underlying molecular mechanisms in HGSC. Bashir thanks Dr Wang for his outstanding mentorship, and…

Our IndepthPathway tool for single cell sequencing analysis published in Bioinformatics. Congratulations to Sanghoon! Figure 1: the workflow of the Indepth Pathway tool for single cell sequencing data. Source: https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btad325

Dr. Yolanda is selected for podium presentation of the BCL2L14-ETV6 fusion project in 2023 department of pathology retreat. The Wang lab team also presented multiple posters of our gene fusion studies. Congratulations to Dr. Yolanda and the Wang lab team!