Qiao Li
University of Michigan Medical Center, USA
Qiao Li, Ph.D. is a Research Assistant Professor in the Section of General Surgery in the Surgery Department. Dr. Li received his bachelor′s degree from Wuhan University in Wuhan, China and a master′s degree from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He received his Ph.D. in Immunology and Biological Sciences from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Li completed his postgraduate training in Molecular Biology and Cell Biology from the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. He was an Assistant Professor of Biology at Wuhan University from 1985 through 1989. Dr. Li joined the faculty at the University of Michigan in 1997.
Dr. Li′s research focuses on the generation of tumor-reactive T cells for the adoptive immunotherapy of cancer. To sensitize/induce tumor-reactive T cells in vivo, lymph node cells are primed utilizing as vaccines the genetically modified tumor cells, tumor cells admixed with bacterial adjutants, or antigen/antigen presenting cells. In order to optimize the methods that are capable of expanding lymphoid cells in vitro while maintaining or augmenting their antitumor reactivity, Dr. Li′s research effort centers on developing new strategies for T cell activation /expansion using monoclonal antibodies and recombinant cytokines. The investigation and optimization of T cell activation/expansion conditions involves primary CD3/IL-2 signaling as well as co-stimulatory signals for T cell proliferation and differentiation, such as CD28, CD40L, and 4-1BB. Dr. Li′s research effort is also devoted to the identification and characterization of tumor-specific T cell subsets. This issue is addressed by defining the specific antitumor reactivity of CD4+ cells or CD8+ cells, differentiating Th1/Tc1 versus Th2/Tc2 cytokine responses, studying molecules markers on T cells or Vb usage by T cell subsets or by isolating and characterizing tumor associated antigens.
Tumor Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy.
