Wang, Qiwei
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology
Education
- PhD, Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Contact Information
Email: ggt2dj@virginia.edu
Website: https://med.virginia.edu/wang-lab/
Research Interests
Cancer biology and immunology, Immuno-oncology, Immunometabolism, Genetically-engineered mouse models
Research Description
Research Projects
Targeting the intersection of cancer cell-intrinsic signaling and innate immunity
The innate immune cells are often suppressed within the tumor microenvironment or co-opted to promote tumor progression and metastasis. Our research aims to advance the next generation of breast cancer therapies by empowering the innate immune system. We use various strategies to harness the anti-tumor potential of innate immune cells, such as small-molecule compounds, nanomedicine-based combination therapies, and antibody-conjugated drugs. Furthermore, we employ gene editing and high-throughput screening to identify tumor cell-intrinsic regulators that enable them to resist the innate immune effectors. Finally, as we gain a deeper understanding of the interplay between tumor genetic context and the innate immune system, we aim to develop combinatorial multipronged cancer therapies for advanced and metastatic breast cancers. This line of research may also extend to other cancer types, such as lung cancer.
Modulating immunometabolism to overcome therapeutic resistance in cancer treatment
Our research, among others, highlights the importance of the interaction between immunogenic, metabolic, and oncogenic pathways in cancer treatment. We hypothesize that targeting immunometabolic pathways will synergize with oncogenic pathway-targeted therapies and/or immunotherapy to treat metastatic breast cancer more effectively. To identify potential therapeutic targets, we aim to decipher signaling cascades that control the intersection of oncogenic and immunometabolic pathways in the context of drug resistance. We are currently investigating this for tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Our findings are likely to have significant implications for various types of cancers and different anti-cancer drugs.
Developing genetically engineered innate immune cells for cancer therapy
We aim to engineer innate immune cells to achieve significant breakthroughs in the treatment of solid tumors. Our recent findings suggest that the gene variants associated with autoimmunity can be utilized to augment anti-tumor immunity. We apply this to engineer macrophages and NK cells. To minimize off-tumor toxicity, controllable innate immune cells are designed to express anti-tumor genes triggered by specific tumor antigen(s) or cues from the tumor microenvironment. We will investigate the effectiveness of the engineered innate immune cells as monotherapy and in combination with other treatments, such as targeted therapy, chemotherapy, or CAR T cell therapy, in therapy-resistant solid tumor models.