Lijie Zhai, M.D., Ph.DResearch Assistant Professor
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Research Summary
Immune evasion is a key driver of cancer progression. Understanding the spatiotemporal co-evolution of cancer cells and the immune system is crucial for early diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. As an immunologist and biochemist with a clinical medicine background, Dr. Zhai studies immune regulatory mechanisms in brain tumors, particularly glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), an aggressive malignancy with a poor 14.6-month average survival. The brain’s unique anatomy and lymphatic system offer a distinct perspective on organ-specific cancer immunology. My ultimate goal is to discover reliable GBM biomarkers and develop novel immunotherapies to enhance treatment outcomes. Using molecular and cellular immunological techniques alongside high-throughput platforms (e.g., single-cell RNA sequencing, tissue microarray, CyTOF), my research focuses on:
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Prashant Bommi, Ph.D.Research Assistant Professor
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Research summary
Dr. Bommi's research focuses on advancing treatment options in patients with glioblastoma (GBM) by investigating the role of PROTAC technology (Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras) to target immunosuppressive IDO1 in brain tumors. This project aims to provide novel therapeutic strategies for GBM, a highly aggressive cancer with complex immune evasion mechanisms. In addition research, Dr. Bommi actively mentors graduate and undergraduate students in the lab, fostering their development as future scientists. Outside of academia, he enjoys weekend walks and listening to health-related podcasts, while advocating for community health awareness and preventive care. Dr. Bommi has a strong research background in life sciences, including a Master's degree in Molecular Biology and DNA damage pathways in head and neck cancer. Dr. Bommi’s dedication to cancer research and mentorship makes him a valuable asset to both the field of brain cancer research and the broader scientific community. |
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Research summary
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common aggressive primary malignant brain tumor in adults with a poor median survival rate. Despite the aggressive standard of care treatment combining surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, the median overall survival (OS) is only ~15-18 months. Progressively increasing subject age is inversely associated with GBM patient OS such that older adults tend to have significantly worse survival outcomes compared to younger counterparts. Senescent cells accumulate in the body during progressive aging and contribute to worse outcomes in older adult mice with GBM. Senolytics are pharmacologics that cause senescent cells to undergo cell death. The objective of my ongoing project is to understand the impact of senescence and evaluate the treatment effect of senolytics combined with or without immunotherapy in mice with GBM across the lifespan. |
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Research Summary
Glioblastoma (GBM) is an extremely aggressive form of adult CNS cancer with poor overall survival. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is an enzyme that induces a severe immunosuppressive environment in GBM. IDO1 enzyme inhibitors have been tested in clinical trials with GBM patients, however their efficacy has not been promising. Therefore, we hypothesize that IDO1 has a non-enzymatic function that contributes to the observed immunosuppression, and my research aims to uncover this function in GBM models. We have developed a novel proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) that selectively degrades IDO1. My research involves testing the efficacy of this PROTAC in syngeneic immunocompetent GBM mouse models as well as in immunodeficient mouse models intracranially engrafted with human GBM cell lines expressing human IDO1 cDNA. I will evaluate survival outcomes in addition to using flow cytometry to determine how the immune cells in the TME change following treatment with the IDO1 PROTAC. I am originally from the Greater Seattle Area and moved to Chicago for my Ph.D. I am a second-year Ph.D. student and in my free time, I like to run and do puzzles. While I continue my studies, I am looking forward to exploring all that Chicago has to offer. |
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Research Summary
Elevated kynurenine (KYN) levels, a metabolite of tryptophan processed by the enzyme IDO, are linked to immune suppression, poorer survival, and tumor progression in glioblastoma (GBM). Additionally, previous research in our lab has pointed to a connection between the gut microbiome and GBM, suggesting that gut microbes can influence GBM development and potentially affect treatment outcomes. Using tamoxifen inducible-transgenic mice, I am investigating how shifts in the microbiome impact GBM progression, survival and KYN/IDO levels. I earned my PhD from the Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, where I studied the long-term effects of diet-induced metabolic disorders and cerebral ischemia on metabolic, neurological, cognitive, and emotional performance and the degree to which autophagy markers are involved in global cerebral ischemia. |
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Research Summary
As an MD-PhD candidate, my research in the Wainwright Lab focuses on overcoming immune suppression in glioblastoma (GBM) by targeting IDO1-mediated T-reg infiltration and investigating novel immunotherapeutic strategies. I have been exploring novel mechanisms of molecular inhibition, and combination immunotherapies to enhance antitumor immunity. I'm also working to expand these investigations to Loyola’s GBM patient population, aiming to better understand disease-specific immune dynamics and therapeutic vulnerabilities. With a focus on translational research, my goal is to bridge laboratory discoveries with clinical application, developing precision-driven therapeutic approaches that improve survival in GBM patients. |
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Research Summary
The social determinants of health are believed to contribute to inequalities in GBM outcomes. Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC) serves a diverse community with significant socioeconomic challenges, making it an ideal setting to study these disparities. By comparing LUMC’s GBM patient data with an existing large Xcures GBM database, this research aims to investigate how socioeconomic and demographic variables influence GBM survival and prognosis. This study will use the Area Deprivation Index to provide insights into patient outcomes, ultimately improving patient care across diverse populations. The goal of this research aims to identify how these variables influence survival rates, with the goal of improving treatment strategies and patient care. My research aims to:
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Research Summary
Increased patient age has been demonstrated as a detrimental factor in glioblastoma (GBM) prognosis. Older GBM patients have been shown to have significantly poorer treatment outcomes and worse prognoses that have been attributed to a range of different factors that include decreased physical resilience to disease, immune system alterations, and variations in tumor-related molecular profiles. Using electronic health records of patients with GBM at Loyola University Medical Center, my work aims to develop a model for GBM in older adults that can be used to drive pre-clinical studies in small animal models and clinical studies in humans. My research focuses on:
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