Our goal is to unravel the complex interactions between immune cells, tumor cells and tumor microenvironment (TME) in different cancer settings, thereby developing novel anticancer immunotherapies to improve clinical benefit. We are particularly focusing on how mRNA epitranscriptome and post-transcriptional regulation determine the fate and function of immune cells that impacts antitumor immunity.

1.Lihui Dong, Chuanyuan Chen, Yawei Zhang, Peijin Guo, Zhenghang Wang, Jian Li, Yi Liu, Jun Liu, Renbao Chang, Yilin Li, Guanghao Liang, Weiyi Lai, Mengxue Sun, Urszula Dougherty, Marc B. Bissonnette, Hailin Wang, Lin Shen,Meng Michelle Xu*, Dali Han*. The loss of RNAN6-adenosine methyltransferaseMettl14in tumor-associated macrophages promotes CD8+T cell dysfunction and tumor growth.Cancer Cell2021. (In press)

2.Yi Liu, Guanghao Liang, Hongjiao Xu, Wenxin Dong, Ze Dong, Zhiwei Qiu, Zihao Zhang, Fangle Li, Yue Huang, Yilin Li, Jun Wu, Shenyi Yin, Yawei Zhang, Peijin Guo, Jun Liu, Jianzhong Jeff Xi, Peng Jiang, Dali Han*, Cai-Guang Yang*,Meng Michelle Xu*. Tumors exploit FTO-mediated regulation of glycolytic metabolism to evade immune surveillance.Cell Metabolism2021. (In press)

3.Dali Han*, Jun Liu, Chuanyuan Chen, Lihui Dong, Yi Liu, Renbao Chang, Xiaona Huang, Yuanyuan Liu, Jianying Wang, Urszula Dougherty, Marc B. Bissonnette, Bin Shen, Ralph R Weichselbaum,Meng Michelle Xu*, Chuan He*. Anti-tumour immunity controlled through mRNA m6A methylation and YTHDF1 in dendritic cells.Nature2019, 566(7743):270-274.

4.Meng Michelle Xu,Yang Pu, Dali Han, Yaoyao Shi, Xuezhi Cao, Hua Liang, Xiang Chen, Xiao-Dong Li, Liufu Deng, Zhijian J. Chen, Ralph R. Weichselbaum, Yang-Xin Fu*. Dendritic cells but not macrophages sense tumor mitochondrial DNA for cross-priming through signal regulatory protein α signaling.Immunity2017, 47(2):363-373.

5.Meng Michelle Xu,Yang Pu, Ralph R. Weichselbaum*, Yang-Xin Fu*.Integrating conventional and antibody-based targeted anticancer treatment into immunotherapy.Oncogene2017, 36(5):585-592.

6.Yang Pu,Meng Xu,Yong Liang, Kaiting Yang, Yajun Guo, Xuanming Yang*, Yang-Xin Fu*. Androgen receptor antagonists compromise T cell response against prostate cancer leading to early tumor relapse.Science Translational Medicine2016, 8(333):333ra47.

7.Meng Michelle Xu,Yang Pu, Yuan Zhang, Yang-Xin Fu*. The role of adaptive immunity in the efficacy of targeted cancer therapies.Trends in immunology2016, 37(2): 141-153.

8.Xiaojuan Liu#, Yang Pu, Kyle Cron, Liufu Deng, Justin Kline, William A. Frazier, Hairong Xu, Hua Peng, Yang-Xin Fu*, Meng Michelle Xu#*. CD47 blockade triggers T cell-mediated destruction of immunogenic tumors.Nature Medicine2015, 21(10):1209-1215.

9.Meng Xu#,Mingyue Liu#, Xuexiang Du, Sirui Li, Hang Li, Xiaozhu Li, Ying Li, Yang Wang, Zhihai Qin, Yang-Xin Fu*, Shengdian Wang*. Intratumoraldelivery of IL-21 overcomes anti-Her2/Neu resistance through shifting tumor-associated macrophages from M2 to M1 phenotype. The Journal of Immunology 2015, 194(10):4997-5006.

10.Liufu Deng, Hua Liang,Meng Michelle Xu,Xuanming Yang, Byron Burnette, Ainhoa Arina, Xiao-Dong Li, Helena Mauceri, Michael Beckett, Thomas Darga, Xiaona Huang, Thomas F. Gajewski, Zhijian J. Chen, Yang-Xin Fu*, Ralph R. Weichselbauman*. STING-dependent cytosolic DNA sensing promotes radiation-induced type I interferon-dependent antitumor immunity in immunogenic tumors.Immunity2014, 41(5):843-852.