AACR-AstraZeneca Immuno-oncology Research Fellow

Despite the striking success of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies, most patients do not respond to PD-1 blockade, and many experience immune-related adverse events. Clearly, the need for therapeutics that go beyond interference with ligand binding is critical. By utilizing mass-spectrometry data and tumor models, the kinase VRK2 was established as a downstream mediator of PD-1. With a long-term goal of developing clinically useful VRK2 inhibitors, Dr. Lerrer is set to define the roles of the kinase domain and protein/protein-interaction domain of VRK2 in mediating PD-1 functions, and uncover the inhibitory roles of VRK2 in different T cell subsets.