The Wang laboratory focuses on an emerging field of “immunobioengineering” with the aim of employing engineering tools and principles to quantitatively understand the immune system in health and disease and to develop novel molecular and cellular immunotherapies by precisely modulating disease-specific immune responses. The ongoing research research projects include: 1) exploring various strategies to engineer virus-derived vector systems for dendritic cell-targeted vaccine delivery and oncolytic virus-based immunotherapy; 2) designing and optimizing cellular immunotherapy that is based on molecular engineering of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs); 3) exploring immune cells as drug carriers for targeted delivery of immunomodulatory drugs to enhance cancer immunotherapy; 4) exploring systems biology tools for modeling and understanding details of signaling pathways mediated by designer molecules such as chimeric antigen receptors to activate T cells; 5) developing engineering methods to improve adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene delivery. In this research laboratory, bioengineers collaborate with chemists, immunologists, computer scientists, and system biologists to directly address problems in translational immunology and develop and optimize innovative approaches to improve lives of patients suffering from cancer and infectious diseases.
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