Matthew Vesely, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of DermatologyCards
Appointments
Contact Info
Dermatology
333 Cedar Street, LMP 5040, PO Box 208059
New Haven, CT 06520-8059
United States
About
Titles
Assistant Professor of Dermatology
Biography
I am a physician-scientist who has trained in immunology, molecular biology, genetics and clinical dermatology. My overall career goal as a physician-scientist are to integrate fundamental immunology with clinical dermatology. In particular, I am interested in the role of costimulatory and inhibitory immune receptors in cancer immunity, autoimmunity pathogenesis and immunotherapy. My interest in this field was driven by my experience in the Medical Scientist Training Program at Washington University in St. Louis, where I worked in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Schreiber to decipher key molecular regulators of cancer immunoediting. As a consequence, the expertise gained in skin immunology and the emerging immunotherapies to treat melanoma inspired me to become a dermatologist. During my dermatology residency, I joined the laboratory of Dr. Lieping Chen at Yale School of Medicine, who pioneered targeting the PD-1 axis for cancer immunotherapy and has discovered multiple novel immune checkpoint molecules including programmed death receptor-1 homolog (PD-1H) (also known as VISTA). My current research interests include: 1) identification of novel immune checkpoints such as PD-1H/VISTA and others in cutaneous malignancies (e.g., melanoma and keratinocyte carcinomas) and 2) elucidating the inhibitory immune landscape of chronic inflammatory disorders such as psoriasis and cutaneous lupus erythematosus.
Appointments
Dermatology
Assistant ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Autoimmune Skin Disease Program
- Chen Lab
- Dermatology
- Janeway Society
- Psoriasis Treatment Program
- Vesely Lab
- Yale Medicine
Education & Training
- Resident
- Yale School of Medicine (Dermatology) (2014-2017) (2017)
- Intern
- Barnes Jewish Hospital (St. Louis) (2013-2014) (2014)
- PhD
- Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Immunology (2013)
- MD
- Washington University School of Medicine (2013)
- BS
- Creighton University, Biology, Theology, History (2003)
Research
Overview
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
ORCID
0000-0001-9363-945X- View Lab Website
Vesely lab
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Lieping Chen, MD, PhD
Jacky Yeung, MD, FAANS
Jennifer McNiff, MD
Jonathan Leventhal, MD
William Damsky, MD, PhD
Ala F Nassar, PhD
Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous
Melanoma
Psoriasis
Skin
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Publications
Featured Publications
Immune Inhibitory Molecule PD-1 Homolog (VISTA) Colocalizes with CD11b Myeloid Cells in Melanoma and Is Associated with Poor Outcomes
Vesely M, Kidacki M, Gaule P, Gupta S, Chan N, Han X, Yeung J, Chen L. Immune Inhibitory Molecule PD-1 Homolog (VISTA) Colocalizes with CD11b Myeloid Cells in Melanoma and Is Associated with Poor Outcomes. Journal Of Investigative Dermatology 2023, 144: 106-115.e4. PMID: 37562584, DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.07.008.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCD11b myeloid cellsImmune inhibitory moleculesPD-L1 expressionVISTA expressionMyeloid cellsFuture potential therapeutic targetsPD-L1/B7Tumor microenvironmentInhibitory moleculesMultiplexed quantitative immunofluorescencePrimary cutaneous melanomaImmunosuppressive tumor microenvironmentNegative prognostic biomarkerCurrent clinical trialsPotential therapeutic targetCause mortalityCritical cell typesPD-L1Poor outcomeTreatment of cancerMelanoma recurrenceCutaneous melanomaClinical trialsPrognostic biomarkerT cellsResistance Mechanisms to Anti-PD Cancer Immunotherapy
Vesely MD, Zhang T, Chen L. Resistance Mechanisms to Anti-PD Cancer Immunotherapy. Annual Review Of Immunology 2022, 40: 45-74. PMID: 35471840, DOI: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-070621-030155.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAnti-PD therapyCancer immunotherapyMechanisms of resistanceImmune inhibitory moleculesFraction of patientsResistance mechanismsNormalization cancer immunotherapyAdditional immunotherapyPD-1Clinical evidenceAntigen presentationT cellsSolid tumorsTherapy resistanceH1 pathwayTumor microenvironmentImmunotherapyInhibitory moleculesHematopoietic malignanciesCancer treatmentTherapyPatientsCurrent studyCancer dataMalignancyThe CD8α–PILRα interaction maintains CD8+ T cell quiescence
Zheng L, Han X, Yao S, Zhu Y, Klement J, Wu S, Ji L, Zhu G, Cheng X, Tobiasova Z, Yu W, Huang B, Vesely MD, Wang J, Zhang J, Quinlan E, Chen L. The CD8α–PILRα interaction maintains CD8+ T cell quiescence. Science 2022, 376: 996-1001. PMID: 35617401, DOI: 10.1126/science.aaz8658.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsT cell quiescenceT cellsT cell pool sizeMaintenance of CD8Peripheral lymphoid organsCell quiescenceMemory CD8Antigen exposureLymphoid organsActivation phenotypeCD8Specific antigenCD8αInducible deletionCell pool sizeDiverse antigensAntigenMolecular mechanismsBroad repertoireExposureCellsQuiescent stateTumorsMicePILRαT cell characteristics associated with toxicity to immune checkpoint blockade in patients with melanoma
Lozano AX, Chaudhuri AA, Nene A, Bacchiocchi A, Earland N, Vesely MD, Usmani A, Turner BE, Steen CB, Luca BA, Badri T, Gulati GS, Vahid MR, Khameneh F, Harris PK, Chen DY, Dhodapkar K, Sznol M, Halaban R, Newman AM. T cell characteristics associated with toxicity to immune checkpoint blockade in patients with melanoma. Nature Medicine 2022, 28: 353-362. PMID: 35027754, PMCID: PMC8866214, DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01623-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsImmune checkpoint inhibitorsImmune-related adverse eventsT-cell characteristicsIrAE developmentBlood samplesSevere immune-related adverse eventsAnti-PD-1 monotherapyCombination immune checkpoint inhibitorsT-cell receptor sequencingT cell abundanceCell receptor sequencingOrgan system involvementPeripheral blood samplesIrAE onsetCheckpoint inhibitorsAdverse eventsCheckpoint blockadeRNA sequencingTCR clonalityCombination therapyPatient cohortSystem involvementClinical managementTCR diversityImmunological statePD-1H (VISTA)–mediated suppression of autoimmunity in systemic and cutaneous lupus erythematosus
Han X, Vesely MD, Yang W, Sanmamed MF, Badri T, Alawa J, López-Giráldez F, Gaule P, Lee SW, Zhang JP, Nie X, Nassar A, Boto A, Flies DB, Zheng L, Kim TK, Moeckel GW, McNiff JM, Chen L. PD-1H (VISTA)–mediated suppression of autoimmunity in systemic and cutaneous lupus erythematosus. Science Translational Medicine 2019, 11 PMID: 31826980, DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aax1159.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsMeSH KeywordsAnimalsArthritisAutoantibodiesAutoimmunityDendritic CellsHumansInflammationInterferon Type ILupus Erythematosus, CutaneousLupus Erythematosus, SystemicMembrane ProteinsMice, Inbred BALB CMice, Inbred MRL lprMyeloid CellsNeutrophilsReceptors, Antigen, T-CellSignal TransductionTerpenesUp-RegulationConceptsPlasmacytoid dendritic cellsDiscoid lupus erythematosusSystemic lupus erythematosusCutaneous lupus lesionsPD-1HLupus erythematosusLupus lesionsAutoimmune diseasesKO miceT cellsMyeloid cellsHuman systemic lupus erythematosusBALB/c backgroundCutaneous lupus erythematosusInappropriate immune responseProgression of lupusSystemic autoimmune diseaseImmune cell expansionSuppression of autoimmunityAgonistic monoclonal antibodyDeath-1 homologCutaneous lupusProinflammatory neutrophilsDendritic cellsDLE lesionsCutaneous Lupus Erythematosus: Current and Future Pathogenesis-Directed Therapies.
Little AJ, Vesely MD. Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus: Current and Future Pathogenesis-Directed Therapies. The Yale Journal Of Biology And Medicine 2020, 93: 81-95. PMID: 32226339, PMCID: PMC7087060.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCutaneous lupus erythematosusDevelopment of CLEDisease pathogenesisAdaptive immune componentsClinical trial landscapeUnmet medical needFuture therapeutic strategiesPromising clinical trialsFuture pathogenesisLupus erythematosusSignificant morbidityAutoimmune diseasesImmune cellsClinical trialsCurrent treatmentTrial landscapeImmune componentsTherapeutic strategiesDrug AdministrationMedical needDiseasePathogenesisEnvironmental triggersTherapyType ICancer Immunoediting in the Era of Immuno-oncology.
Gubin MM, Vesely MD. Cancer Immunoediting in the Era of Immuno-oncology. Clinical Cancer Research 2022, 28: 3917-3928. PMID: 35594163, PMCID: PMC9481657, DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-1804.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCancer immunoeditingImmune-tumor cell interactionsCancer immunotherapyAbsence of immunotherapyDurable clinical responsesT cell biologyCell interactionsImmunotherapy resistanceClinical responseImmunosuppressive microenvironmentTumor immunogenicityImmuno-oncologyClinical dataPreclinical modelsImmunoeditingImmunotherapyHuman patientsImmune systemTumor microenvironmentCancerCancer progressionClinical subspecialtyImmunogenicityMicroenvironmentPatientsNot all well-differentiated cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas are equal: Tumors with disparate biologic behavior have differences in protein expression via digital spatial profiling
Vesely M, Martinez-Morilla S, Gehlhausen JR, McNiff JM, Whang PG, Rimm D, Ko CJ. Not all well-differentiated cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas are equal: Tumors with disparate biologic behavior have differences in protein expression via digital spatial profiling. Journal Of The American Academy Of Dermatology 2022, 87: 695-698. PMID: 35398219, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2022.03.057.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricPembrolizumab-induced lichenoid dermatitis treated with dupilumab
Park J, Park E, Damsky W, Vesely M. Pembrolizumab-induced lichenoid dermatitis treated with dupilumab. JAAD Case Reports 2023, 37: 13-15. PMID: 37332364, PMCID: PMC10275729, DOI: 10.1016/j.jdcr.2023.05.004.Peer-Reviewed Case Reports and Technical NotesCitationsTreatment of cutaneous lupus with topical ruxolitinib cream
Park JJ, Little AJ, Vesely MD. Treatment of cutaneous lupus with topical ruxolitinib cream. JAAD Case Reports 2022, 28: 133-135. PMID: 36159722, PMCID: PMC9494033, DOI: 10.1016/j.jdcr.2022.08.038.Peer-Reviewed Case Reports and Technical NotesCitationsAltmetric
Academic Achievements and Community Involvement
activity American Academy of Dermatology
Professional OrganizationsFellowDetails07/01/2018 - Presentactivity National Psoriasis Foundation
Professional OrganizationsMemberDetails07/01/2020 - Presentactivity Rheumatological Dermatology Society
Professional OrganizationsMemberDetails07/01/2020 - Presentactivity Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC)
Professional OrganizationsMemberDetails07/01/2020 - Presentactivity International Dermatology Outcome Measures (IDEOM)
Professional OrganizationsMemberDetails06/01/2021 - Present
Clinical Care
Overview
Matthew Vesely, MD, is a dermatologist who treats psoriasis, eczema, and other autoimmune skin disorders. Dr. Vesely also sees patients with chronic skin diseases, including discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).
“Seeing patients who have been suffering from inflammatory skin diseases for years finally get relief with the help of a targeted therapy is very rewarding,” he says.
Dr. Vesely says he enjoys working with patients and their families to find the best approach to treat a skin disorder. “I always explain that even if the first set of therapies are ineffective, we won't stop until we find the most effective treatment plan,” he says.
Dr. Vesely says he chose his specialty after learning that a large number of skin diseases caused by an overactive immune system lack FDA-approved treatments. In his research, Dr. Vesely investigates emerging new therapies that could potentially help his patients.
“Being able to research the same diseases I treat is extremely gratifying and motivating,” Dr. Vesely says.
Clinical Specialties
Fact Sheets
Prurigo Nodularis
Learn More on Yale MedicineCutaneous T-cell Lymphoma
Learn More on Yale MedicinePsoriasis
Learn More on Yale MedicineActinic Keratosis (AK)
Learn More on Yale Medicine
Board Certifications
Dermatology
- Certification Organization
- AB of Dermatology
- Original Certification Date
- 2017
Yale Medicine News
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Media
- PD-1H (VISTA) expression (green) is more abundant in human cutaneous lupus (right) than normal skin (left) and co-localizes with CD3 T cells (red).
Get In Touch
Contacts
Dermatology
333 Cedar Street, LMP 5040, PO Box 208059
New Haven, CT 06520-8059
United States
Administrative Support
Locations
Dermatology
Academic Office
Hunter Building
15 York Street, Rm HRT 603B
New Haven, CT 06510
Chen Lab
Lab
West Campus Molecular Innovations Center
600 West Campus Drive
West Haven, CT 06516
Patient Care Locations
Are You a Patient? View this doctor's clinical profile on the Yale Medicine website for information about the services we offer and making an appointment.
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