Jiao Shen
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Project Title: “Identification of KRAS-specific TCRs from human peripheral blood”
We developed an efficient platform to detect KRAS-specific T cells in peripheral blood of patients with pancreatic cancer. Using a lentiviral expansion system in combination with mutant KRAS peptides, we enabled the high-throughput identification of KRAS-specific TCRs from PBMCs of pancreatic cancer patients and healthy individuals. Through in vitro stimulation and single-cell TCR analysis, we will quantify both CD4 and CD8 KRAS-specific TCRs in patients with a variety of HLA haplotypes.
Jiao Shen’s Bio:
Jiao’s research focuses on understanding how immune cells respond to or resist checkpoint blockade, aiming to identify potent therapeutic strategies for controlling primary tumors and preventing metastasis. As a graduate student, she engineered antibody-cytokine conjugates for local delivery of cytokine therapies to tumors. As a postdoctoral fellow in Stephanie Dougan’s lab, she aims to discover novel strategies to reactivate dysfunctional T cells and improve responsiveness to immunotherapies for patients with pancreatic cancer.