Our lab focuses on melanoma and sarcoma. Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, develops in melanocytes that produce melanin. Sarcoma is a rare mesenchymal cancer that arises in the soft-tissue and bones. The standard line of treatment is surgical resection and irradiation, which risks recurrence and wound complications. While immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have revolutionized the treatment of melanoma, sarcomas respond variably to the therapy, depending on the histology. Regardless, By increasing the activity of the immune system, ICI may result in immune-related adverse events like autoimmune diseases. Accordingly, our lab aims to:
- Leverage the potential of memory B- and T-cells by characterizing the immune subsets in the tumor microenvironment and investigating ways of enhancing their longevity for potential cancer immunotherapies with less adverse effects.
- Investigate the connection between cancer and autoimmunity, especially after treatment with ICI.
- Mitigate irradiation-associated wound complications to better the post-operative outcomes for cancer patients.
UCLA Crompton Laboratory 