Publications

2026

Endothelial MHC expression is required to initiate T cell–mediated rejection of 3D-printed skin grafts
Tobiasova Z, Sefik E, Qin L, McNiff J, Davis G, Flavell R, Saltzman W, Pober J. Endothelial MHC expression is required to initiate T cell–mediated rejection of 3D-printed skin grafts. JCI Insight 2026, 11: e201946. PMID: 42018655, PMCID: PMC13135413, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.201946.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords
B lymphocyte protein factories produced by hematopoietic stem cell gene editing
Hartweger H, Ruprecht C, Yao K, Laffont P, Lima Dos Reis G, Zhou P, Hägglöf T, Binet L, Loewe M, Hong J, Xiao T, Sefik E, Hernandez B, Gazumyan A, Jankovic M, Seaman M, Costa G, Nelson S, Clark J, Kanatani S, Wilson P, Krammer F, Levashina E, Julien J, Wardemann H, Sinnis P, Stamatatos L, Flavell R, Nussenzweig M. B lymphocyte protein factories produced by hematopoietic stem cell gene editing. Science 2026, 392: eadz8994. PMID: 41990179, DOI: 10.1126/science.adz8994.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords
Rational Design of Immune Gene Therapy Combinations via In Vivo CRISPR Activation Screen of Tumor Microenvironment Modulators.
Zhang F, Dong C, Chow R, Xin S, He E, Feng Y, Zhu L, Mirza D, Tian X, Yang L, Zhou L, Ling X, Han Q, Fan R, Chen S, Wang G. Rational Design of Immune Gene Therapy Combinations via In Vivo CRISPR Activation Screen of Tumor Microenvironment Modulators. Cancer Discovery 2026, 16: 1222-1244. PMID: 41747251, DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-25-0545.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
OR7A10 GPCR engineering boosts CAR-NK therapy against solid tumours
Yang L, Renauer P, Tang K, Saskin J, Zhou L, Zou C, Lee S, Fox M, Johnson-Noya S, Weiss B, Deng S, Fang P, Chen B, Sferruzza G, Fooladi S, Zhao K, Park D, Zhang F, Tu J, Chen J, Moliterno J, Gunel M, Peng L, Chen S. OR7A10 GPCR engineering boosts CAR-NK therapy against solid tumours. Nature 2026, 652: 740-751. PMID: 41741641, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10149-8.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
This study investigates OR7A10-engineered CAR-NK cells, showing they enhance tumor-killing ability, persistence, and survival in solid tumor models, offering a scalable cancer therapy.
Full Summary
T cell receptors for antigen on intraepithelial cytolytic T lymphocytes in celiac disease engage enterocyte HLA-E and HLA-B
Johnson J, Agrawal K, Al-Lamki R, Zhang F, Wang X, Tobiasova Z, Taleb S, Liburd S, Rodriguez L, Martins A, Flavell R, Robert M, Sefik E, Pober J. T cell receptors for antigen on intraepithelial cytolytic T lymphocytes in celiac disease engage enterocyte HLA-E and HLA-B. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2026, 123: e2525433123. PMID: 41642982, PMCID: PMC12890992, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2525433123.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords

2025

Linker histone regulates the myeloid versus lymphoid bifurcation of multipotent hematopoietic stem and progenitors
Karatepe K, de Faria B, Zhang J, Chen X, Pinto H, Fyodorov D, Sefik E, Willcockson M, Flavell R, Skoultchi A, Guo S. Linker histone regulates the myeloid versus lymphoid bifurcation of multipotent hematopoietic stem and progenitors. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2025, 122: e2509412122. PMID: 41118213, PMCID: PMC12582276, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2509412122.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords
Sclerotic GVHD and scleroderma share dysregulated gene expression that is ameliorated by EREG therapeutic antibody
Newton N, Agrawal K, Odell A, Tracy T, Hacket C, Eldrup A, Whitfield M, Martyanov V, Girardi M, Sefik E, Flavell R, Odell I. Sclerotic GVHD and scleroderma share dysregulated gene expression that is ameliorated by EREG therapeutic antibody. Blood 2025, 146: 3201-3212. PMID: 40961242, PMCID: PMC12643462, DOI: 10.1182/blood.2025029836.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Humanization of CD47 enables development of functional human neutrophils via postirradiation remodeling of the bone marrow
Sefik E, Philbrick W, Zhang F, Agrawal K, Van Lee B, Sam J, Karatepe K, Zheng Y, Liang K, Peng S, Mirza H, Rangavajhula A, Simon P, Arun N, Babu P, Eynon E, Chiorazzi M, Shan L, Halene S, Luo H, Rongvaux A, Kluger Y, Flavell R. Humanization of CD47 enables development of functional human neutrophils via postirradiation remodeling of the bone marrow. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2025, 122: e2426546122. PMID: 40956886, PMCID: PMC12478129, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2426546122.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords
Cas12a-knock-in mice for multiplexed genome editing, disease modelling and immune-cell engineering
Tang K, Zhou L, Tian X, Fang S, Vandenbulcke E, Du A, Shen J, Cao H, Zhou J, Chen K, Kim H, Luo Z, Xin S, Lin S, Park D, Yang L, Zhang Y, Suzuki K, Majety M, Ling X, Lam S, Chow R, Ren P, Tao B, Li K, Codina A, Dai X, Shang X, Bai S, Nottoli T, Levchenko A, Booth C, Liu C, Fan R, Dong M, Zhou X, Chen S. Cas12a-knock-in mice for multiplexed genome editing, disease modelling and immune-cell engineering. Nature Biomedical Engineering 2025, 9: 1290-1308. PMID: 40114032, PMCID: PMC12360953, DOI: 10.1038/s41551-025-01371-2.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Engineering Mice to Study Human Immunity
Sefik E, Xiao T, Chiorazzi M, Odell I, Zhang F, Agrawal K, Micevic G, Flavell R. Engineering Mice to Study Human Immunity. Annual Review Of Immunology 2025, 43: 451-487. PMID: 40020225, DOI: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-082523-124415.
Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements

2024

Single-cell CAR T atlas reveals type 2 function in 8-year leukaemia remission
Bai Z, Feng B, McClory S, de Oliveira B, Diorio C, Gregoire C, Tao B, Yang L, Zhao Z, Peng L, Sferruzza G, Zhou L, Zhou X, Kerr J, Baysoy A, Su G, Yang M, Camara P, Chen S, Tang L, June C, Melenhorst J, Grupp S, Fan R. Single-cell CAR T atlas reveals type 2 function in 8-year leukaemia remission. Nature 2024, 634: 702-711. PMID: 39322664, PMCID: PMC11485231, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07762-w.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Sensing DNA as danger: The discovery of cGAS
Flavell R, Sefik E. Sensing DNA as danger: The discovery of cGAS. Immunity 2024, 57: 2251-2254. PMID: 39303723, DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2024.09.009.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
CAR-T and CAR-NK as cellular cancer immunotherapy for solid tumors
Peng L, Sferruzza G, Yang L, Zhou L, Chen S. CAR-T and CAR-NK as cellular cancer immunotherapy for solid tumors. Cellular & Molecular Immunology 2024, 21: 1089-1108. PMID: 39134804, PMCID: PMC11442786, DOI: 10.1038/s41423-024-01207-0.
Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements
The human CD47 checkpoint is targeted by an immunosuppressive Aedes aegypti salivary factor to enhance arboviral skin infectivity
Marin-Lopez A, Huck J, Esterly A, Azcutia V, Rosen C, Garcia-Milian R, Sefik E, Vidal-Pedrola G, Raduwan H, Chen T, Arora G, Halene S, Shaw A, Palm N, Flavell R, Parkos C, Thangamani S, Ring A, Fikrig E. The human CD47 checkpoint is targeted by an immunosuppressive Aedes aegypti salivary factor to enhance arboviral skin infectivity. Science Immunology 2024, 9: eadk9872-eadk9872. PMID: 39121194, PMCID: PMC11924945, DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adk9872.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords
Gene trajectory inference for single-cell data by optimal transport metrics
Qu R, Cheng X, Sefik E, Stanley III J, Landa B, Strino F, Platt S, Garritano J, Odell I, Coifman R, Flavell R, Myung P, Kluger Y. Gene trajectory inference for single-cell data by optimal transport metrics. Nature Biotechnology 2024, 43: 258-268. PMID: 38580861, PMCID: PMC11452571, DOI: 10.1038/s41587-024-02186-3.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research

2023

IL-6 trans-signaling in a humanized mouse model of scleroderma
Odell I, Agrawal K, Sefik E, Odell A, Caves E, Kirkiles-Smith N, Horsley V, Hinchcliff M, Pober J, Kluger Y, Flavell R. IL-6 trans-signaling in a humanized mouse model of scleroderma. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2023, 120: e2306965120. PMID: 37669366, PMCID: PMC10500188, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306965120.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords
Humanized mouse liver reveals endothelial control of essential hepatic metabolic functions
Kaffe E, Roulis M, Zhao J, Qu R, Sefik E, Mirza H, Zhou J, Zheng Y, Charkoftaki G, Vasiliou V, Vatner D, Mehal W, AlcHepNet, Kluger Y, Flavell R. Humanized mouse liver reveals endothelial control of essential hepatic metabolic functions. Cell 2023, 186: 3793-3809.e26. PMID: 37562401, PMCID: PMC10544749, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.017.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords
Function and Cryo-EM structures of broadly potent bispecific antibodies against multiple SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sublineages
Ren P, Hu Y, Peng L, Yang L, Suzuki K, Fang Z, Bai M, Zhou L, Feng Y, Zou Y, Xiong Y, Chen S. Function and Cryo-EM structures of broadly potent bispecific antibodies against multiple SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sublineages. Signal Transduction And Targeted Therapy 2023, 8: 281. PMID: 37518189, PMCID: PMC10387464, DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01509-1.
Commentaries, Editorials and Letters
MeSH Keywords
Autologous humanized PDX modeling for immuno-oncology recapitulates features of the human tumor microenvironment
Chiorazzi M, Martinek J, Krasnick B, Zheng Y, Robbins K, Qu R, Kaufmann G, Skidmore Z, Juric M, Henze L, Brösecke F, Adonyi A, Zhao J, Shan L, Sefik E, Mudd J, Bi Y, Goedegebuure S, Griffith M, Griffith O, Oyedeji A, Fertuzinhos S, Garcia-Milian R, Boffa D, Detterbeck F, Dhanasopon A, Blasberg J, Judson B, Gettinger S, Politi K, Kluger Y, Palucka K, Fields R, Flavell R. Autologous humanized PDX modeling for immuno-oncology recapitulates features of the human tumor microenvironment. Journal For ImmunoTherapy Of Cancer 2023, 11: e006921. PMID: 37487666, PMCID: PMC10373695, DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-006921.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords
IL-7R licenses a population of epigenetically poised memory CD8+ T cells with superior antitumor efficacy that are critical for melanoma memory
Micevic G, Daniels A, Flem-Karlsen K, Park K, Talty R, McGeary M, Mirza H, Blackburn H, Sefik E, Cheung J, Hornick N, Aizenbud L, Joshi N, Kluger H, Iwasaki A, Bosenberg M, Flavell R. IL-7R licenses a population of epigenetically poised memory CD8+ T cells with superior antitumor efficacy that are critical for melanoma memory. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2023, 120: e2304319120. PMID: 37459511, PMCID: PMC10372654, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304319120.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords
Applications of CRISPR technology in cellular immunotherapy
Zhou X, Renauer P, Zhou L, Fang S, Chen S. Applications of CRISPR technology in cellular immunotherapy. Immunological Reviews 2023, 320: 199-216. PMID: 37449673, PMCID: PMC10787818, DOI: 10.1111/imr.13241.
Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements
MeSH Keywords
Pooled screening with next-generation gene editing tools
Zhou L, Yang L, Feng Y, Chen S. Pooled screening with next-generation gene editing tools. Current Opinion In Biomedical Engineering 2023, 28: 100479. PMID: 38222973, PMCID: PMC10786633, DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2023.100479.
Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements
Regulatory T cells in the face of the intestinal microbiota
Ramanan D, Pratama A, Zhu Y, Venezia O, Sassone-Corsi M, Chowdhary K, Galván-Peña S, Sefik E, Brown C, Gélineau A, Mathis D, Benoist C. Regulatory T cells in the face of the intestinal microbiota. Nature Reviews Immunology 2023, 23: 749-762. PMID: 37316560, DOI: 10.1038/s41577-023-00890-w.
Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements
MeSH Keywords
A Treg-specific long noncoding RNA maintains immune-metabolic homeostasis in aging liver
Ding C, Yu Z, Sefik E, Zhou J, Kaffe E, Wang G, Li B, Flavell R, Hu W, Ye Y, Li H. A Treg-specific long noncoding RNA maintains immune-metabolic homeostasis in aging liver. Nature Aging 2023, 3: 813-828. PMID: 37277640, DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00428-8.
Peer-Reviewed Original Research
MeSH Keywords
Pooled screening with next-generation gene editing tools
Liqun Zhou, Luojia Yang, Yanzhi Feng, Sidi Chen, Pooled screening with next-generation gene editing tools, Current Opinion in Biomedical Engineering, 2023, 100479, ISSN 2468-4511, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobme.2023.100479.
Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements

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