Velasquez Lab

As tumors are exposed to CAR T cells designed for a specific antigen, they have the potential to downregulate that same target. Not only is there a need to identify novel targets that are specific to the malignant cells, but it is essential to develop bi- or multi- antigen targeting techniques. Our lab is using a multi-omics approach, leveraging information from transcriptomics, proteomics, and genomics to determine what antigens are expressed on leukemia cells that aren’t expressed on normal tissues or native T cells and lead to antigen discovery. In addition, we are exploring potential antigen combinations and configurations that would prevent tumor adaptation and immune evasion.

Leukemias, especially AML, maintain a highly immunosuppressive environment, so we need to identify ways to bypass or evade the immune response. To enhance the anti-tumor activity and persistence of CAR T cells, we are expressing different types of co-stimulatory molecules on our engineered effector cells. It will also be critical to evaluate our cells in accurate models that reflect the patient condition. As such, we are exploring the use of immunocompetent AML models.