Revach Lab- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Lab
Our lab studies the mechanisms that drive T cell dysfunction in solid tumors and develops strategies to restore effective anti-tumor immunity and improve cancer immunotherapy.
T cells have a remarkable capacity to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. However, within the tumor microenvironment (TME), their activity is progressively suppressed by a complex network of signals derived from tumor cells, stromal cells, and the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). These interactions can lead to T cell dysfunction and exhaustion and ultimately limit the effectiveness of immune checkpoint blockade and cellular therapies such as CAR-T cells.
Our research aims to understand how the tumor microenvironment shapes T cell function, with a particular focus on the molecular and metabolic pathways that drive T cell dysfunction and on the role of the extracellular matrix as an active regulator of anti-tumor immunity. By identifying the mechanisms that prevent T cells from functioning effectively within tumors, we seek to uncover new therapeutic vulnerabilities that can be targeted to enhance immunotherapy.
To study these processes in systems that closely reflect human cancer, we integrate mechanistic and functional approaches with patient-derived tumor models. In particular, we use ex vivo tumor cultures in microfluidic devices that preserve the components of the native tumor microenvironment and enable us to directly investigate immune-tumor interactions and therapeutic responses in fresh human tumors.
Ultimately, our goal is to translate fundamental insights into T cell biology and tumor-immune interactions into new therapeutic strategies that overcome immune resistance and make immunotherapy effective for a broader range of patients.