Effective anti-tumor response rely on cell-mediated immunity, and in particular, on the generation of CD8 T cells (cytolytic ‘killer’ cells) that may recognize tumor cells. One type of dendritic cell specialized for activating CD8 T cells responses against viruses and tumors is the so-called cDC1. These are short lived are continuously produced by the bone marrow for delivery to the body for their surveillance activity. Over the last 10 years, we have identified specific genetic networks that control cDC1 development, and our purpose is to understanding how they perform their unique functions ( e.g., cross-presentation), and how they develop, which may lead to therapeutic uses.
We are following up our discover of WDFY4 in cDC1 cross-presentation.
We also study how CD4 T cells license cDC1 in anti-tumor responses.
We study the transcriptional basis for dendritic cell development.
