Benjamin Y. Lu, MD, PhD
Instructor in Medicine (Medical Oncology)Cards
About
Research
Overview
Medical Research Interests
Brain Neoplasms; Lung Neoplasms; Skin Neoplasms
Publications
2024
Circulating tumor-reactive KIR+CD8+ T cells suppress anti-tumor immunity in patients with melanoma
Lu B, Lucca L, Lewis W, Wang J, Nogueira C, Heer S, Rayon-Estrada V, Axisa P, Reeves S, Buitrago-Pocasangre N, Pham G, Kojima M, Wei W, Aizenbud L, Bacchiocchi A, Zhang L, Walewski J, Chiang V, Olino K, Clune J, Halaban R, Kluger Y, Coyle A, Kisielow J, Obermair F, Kluger H, Hafler D. Circulating tumor-reactive KIR+CD8+ T cells suppress anti-tumor immunity in patients with melanoma. Nature Immunology 2024, 26: 82-91. PMID: 39609626, DOI: 10.1038/s41590-024-02023-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCD8+ T cellsAnti-tumor immunityRegulatory T cellsT cellsSubpopulation of CD8+ T cellsCytotoxic CD8+ T cellsHuman CD8+ T cellsTumor antigen-specific CD8Impaired anti-tumor immunityTumor antigen-specificPoor overall survivalTumor rejectionKIR expressionOverall survivalTumor antigensImmune evasionCellular mediatorsHuman cancersCD8MelanomaTumorTranscriptional programsFunctional heterogeneityImmunityPatientsDecoy-resistant IL-18 reshapes the tumor microenvironment and enhances rejection by anti-CTLA-4 in renal cell carcinoma
Schoenfeld D, Djureinovic D, Su D, Zhang L, Lu B, Kamga L, Mann J, Huck J, Hurwitz M, Braun D, Jilaveanu L, Ring A, Kluger H. Decoy-resistant IL-18 reshapes the tumor microenvironment and enhances rejection by anti-CTLA-4 in renal cell carcinoma. JCI Insight 2024, 10: e184545. PMID: 39561007, PMCID: PMC11721305, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.184545.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAnti-CTLA-4Renal cell carcinomaIL-18IL-18BPCell carcinomaTumor microenvironmentTumor typesPatients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitorsRegulatory T cell levelsAnti-PD-1 treatmentCD8+ T cellsAnti-PD-1Immune checkpoint inhibitorsCell renal cell carcinomaNon-responder patientsMyeloid cell populationsT cell levelsCytokine interleukin-18Anti-cancer efficacySecreted binding proteinCheckpoint inhibitorsResponding patientsPreclinical modelsT cellsMurine modelHLA class-I antigen presentation machinery (APM) alterations mediate immune evasion in lung cancer brain metastases.
Vilariño N, Lopez De Rodas M, Ranjan K, Costantini A, Villalba M, Lu B, Kravitz C, Nadal E, Goldberg S, Nguyen D, Schalper K. HLA class-I antigen presentation machinery (APM) alterations mediate immune evasion in lung cancer brain metastases. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2024, 42: e14014-e14014. DOI: 10.1200/jco.2024.42.16_suppl.e14014.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchLung cancer brain metastasisPrimary lung tumorsTumor-infiltrating lymphocytesImmune checkpoint inhibitorsCancer brain metastasesAntigen presentation machineryB2M expressionIFN-gBrain metastasesB2MImmune evasionAssociated with shorter overall survivalMultiplexed quantitative immunofluorescenceM expressionExpression of B2MB2M levelsExpression of pSTAT1Shorter overall survivalUnfavorable clinical featuresNo significant associationAssociated with unfavorable clinical featuresCheckpoint inhibitorsImmunotherapy resistanceProperties of tumorsPresentation machineryProviding 0.1 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Support to Fellowship Core Faculty Improves Faculty Involvement in Fellowship Education and Recruitment
Butt A, Christian J, Kress A, Lu B, Hurwitz M, Goldberg S, Podoltsev N, Gilkes L, Lee A. Providing 0.1 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Support to Fellowship Core Faculty Improves Faculty Involvement in Fellowship Education and Recruitment. Journal Of Cancer Education 2024, 39: 325-334. PMID: 38430454, DOI: 10.1007/s13187-024-02414-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchFull-time equivalent supportFull-time equivalentAmerican Council for Graduate Medical EducationCore facultyFellowship programsFellowship educationGraduate Medical EducationImprove job satisfactionCF programPotential unintended consequencesMedical educationSalary supportSurvey respondentsIncreased participationMedical oncologyUnintended consequencesSubspecialty fellowshipsIncreased senseSense of commitmentJob satisfactionFellowshipEducationFaculty involvement
2023
Beyond the Lab and Into the Hospital: An Outlook on the Clinical Utility of Spatial Omics Technologies
Pucciarelli D, Lu B, Zlobec I, DiStasio M. Beyond the Lab and Into the Hospital: An Outlook on the Clinical Utility of Spatial Omics Technologies. GEN Biotechnology 2023, 2: 360-371. DOI: 10.1089/genbio.2023.0030.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsChemoimmunotherapy for Untreated Lung Cancer Brain Metastases: Systemic Before Local Therapy?
Lu B, Goldberg S. Chemoimmunotherapy for Untreated Lung Cancer Brain Metastases: Systemic Before Local Therapy? Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2023, 41: 4462-4464. PMID: 37603819, DOI: 10.1200/jco.23.01323.Commentaries, Editorials and LettersBSBM-18 SINGLE-CELL PROFILING TUMOR-INFILTRATING IMMUNE CELLS REVEALS CXCL13+ FOLLICULAR HELPER-LIKE CD4+ T CELLS IN HUMAN BRAIN TUMORS
Lu B, Lucca L, DiStasio M, Liu Y, Pham G, Buitrago-Pocasangre N, Arnal-Estape A, Moliterno J, Chiang V, Omuro A, Hafler D. BSBM-18 SINGLE-CELL PROFILING TUMOR-INFILTRATING IMMUNE CELLS REVEALS CXCL13+ FOLLICULAR HELPER-LIKE CD4+ T CELLS IN HUMAN BRAIN TUMORS. Neuro-Oncology Advances 2023, 5: iii4-iii4. PMCID: PMC10402449, DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdad070.014.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBSBM-16 HLA CLASS-I ANTIGEN PRESENTATION MACHINERY AND IFN-γ PATHWAY ALTERATIONS IN LUNG CANCER BRAIN METASTASES
Vilarino N, de Rodas M, Lu B, Goldberg S, Schalper K. BSBM-16 HLA CLASS-I ANTIGEN PRESENTATION MACHINERY AND IFN-γ PATHWAY ALTERATIONS IN LUNG CANCER BRAIN METASTASES. Neuro-Oncology Advances 2023, 5: iii4-iii4. PMCID: PMC10402438, DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdad070.012.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchLung cancer brain metastasesPrimary lung tumorsImmune checkpoint inhibitorsCancer brain metastasesBrain metastasesPresentation machineryClinicopathologic variablesHLA classTumor cell PD-L1 expressionBackground Immune checkpoint inhibitorsLocal adaptive immune responseHLA Class I AntigenPD-L1 expressionDuration of responseB2MAdaptive immune responsesDistinct immunomodulatory propertiesImmune evasion mechanismsClass I AntigenIFN-γ signalingIRF-1Interferon regulatory factor 1Checkpoint inhibitorsMost patientsWorse survival
2022
TCR-sequencing in cancer and autoimmunity: barcodes and beyond
Pauken KE, Lagattuta KA, Lu BY, Lucca LE, Daud AI, Hafler DA, Kluger HM, Raychaudhuri S, Sharpe AH. TCR-sequencing in cancer and autoimmunity: barcodes and beyond. Trends In Immunology 2022, 43: 180-194. PMID: 35090787, PMCID: PMC8882139, DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2022.01.002.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsConceptsT cell receptorT cellsMolecular barcodesProgrammed Death-1 BlockadeTCR sequencesDeath-1 blockadeUnique TCR sequencesNaïve T cellsT cell functionCell divisionMolecular phenotypesBarcodesImmune responseAntigen specificitySingle cellsCell receptorCell functionRecent technological advancesCancerTCR dataCellsNeurological complications of lung cancer
Kaulen LD, Lu BY, Goldberg SB, Baehring JM, Chapter 15 - Neurological complications of lung cancer, Editor(s): Herbert B. Newton, Mark G. Malkin, Neurological Complications of Systemic Cancer and Antineoplastic Therapy (Second Edition), Academic Press, 2022, Pages 243-276, DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821976-8.00027-xChapters
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
Clinical Care
Overview
Benjamin Y. Lu, MD, PhD, is a medical oncologist specializing in thoracic oncology, focusing on the treatment of lung and skin cancers, as well as primary and metastatic brain tumors. Dr. Lu is dedicated to advancing immune therapies, which harness the body's own immune system to combat cancer, particularly in brain tumors. He employs various innovative approaches to improve patient outcomes.
As an instructor in medicine at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Lu conducts research on immune-based treatments for tumors that originate in the brain or spread there. He studies how certain white blood cells, called T cells, respond to cancer in order to develop new therapeutic strategies.
Dr. Lu received his medical training from New York University School of Medicine and completed his residency in internal medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital. He further specialized with a fellowship in medical oncology at Yale Cancer Center. His contributions to the field have been recognized by prestigious awards such as the Young Investigator Award from the Conquer Cancer Foundation and the Emerging Generation Award from the American Society of Clinical Investigation.
Clinical Specialties
Thoracic Oncology
News
News
- November 28, 2024
Unexpected Findings in Study of T Cells, Considered Front-line Fighters Against Advanced Melanoma
- December 19, 2021
New DEI Curriculum for Medical Oncology-Hematology Fellowship Program
- April 30, 2019
17th Annual Research in Residency Day A Success
- February 25, 2019Source: WBUR
'Do I Still Need To Take This?' Why Doctors Should 'Deprescribe' Pills