Chuanpeng Dong, PhD

Topic: Multi-omics Analytics and Emerging Technologies

Project Summary: Recent effort has been made in using CRISPR knockout or activating to screening target to boost T cell effector function and further leverage the immune killing function. However, the manipulating of a single gene might still be hard to overcome the resistance due to genes that can compromise its function in immune cell signaling. Paralogs derived from the same ancestors are reported with synthetic lethal interactions, which might function jointly in augmenting cancer immunity. In this project, we will establish a computational model for predicting paralogs pairs that can team up their function in cancer immunotherapy, by integrating genome-wide CRISPR screens perturbation molecular profiles from Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) and Connectivity Map (CMap), and cancer datasets with patients receiving immunotherapy. The outcome of this research will deliver in silico tools for screening paralog pairs that can boost immune response, which could inspire effective combination therapeutic strategies toward precision treatment.