Our research team is focused on uncovering the mechanisms that govern T cell signaling, with the goal of precisely engineering immune cells for immunotherapies.
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Image by kjpargeter on Freepik
A central area of interest of our group is the inhibitory receptor signaling pathways that suppress immune responses. Despite the identification of approximately 60 immune checkpoints, fewer than 15% are currently targeted in immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), and even fewer have been explored for their potential to enhance cellular immunotherapies.
We aim to systematically manipulate these checkpoint pathways to reprogram T cells with tailored phenotypes capable of overcoming immune suppression. This potential remains largely untapped due to limited understanding of the diverse inhibitory mechanisms, receptor-specific signaling domains, and context-dependent expression across T cell differentiation stages. Our research addresses this knowledge gap through a multidisciplinary approach that integrates -omics technologies, CRISPR-based functional genomics, computational analysis, and primary T cell editing.
By elucidating how distinct combinations of inhibitory receptors influence T cell states, function and therapeutic outcomes, we seek to strategically prioritize and rationally design next-generation combination therapies. Our work is principally supported by the Wellcome Trust.
Our team
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Sumana Sharma
Group Leader: Wellcome Career Development Fellow
Collaborators
- Professor Simon Davis
- Dr Evangelia Petsalaki (EBI)
- Professor Chris Tape (UCL)
- Professor Peter Steinberger (Medical University of Vienna)