معرفی
Xuefang Cao is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and serves as Co-Leader of the Tumor Immunology & Immunotherapy Program. Her research focuses on T cell biology in cancer immunology and transplantation immunity, utilizing murine models and patient samples to develop targeted immunotherapies.
Her educational background includes:
- MD in Medicine from Hebei Medical University (1994)
- MS in Pharmacology from Peking Union Medical College (1999)
- PhD in Cancer Biology from the University of Florida (2003)
- Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cancer Immunology at Washington University (2008)
Dr. Cao's research investigates co-stimulatory/co-inhibitory signals, sympathetic neurotransmitters, and cytotoxic pathways in T cell development and effector functions. Her work specifically targets mechanisms in tumor immunity, allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, and graft-versus-host disease to develop safe cancer immunotherapies. Key approaches include studying granzyme B, CD27/CD70 signaling, and β-adrenergic pathways in immune homeostasis and tumor progression.
Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2020-2024) reveals dominant themes in CD27-mediated immune regulation, β-adrenergic signaling in tumor microenvironments, and non-canonical granzyme B functions. Her work bridges fundamental T cell biology with translational applications in melanoma, ovarian cancer, and hematopoietic cell transplantation, emphasizing pathways to separate graft-versus-leukemia effects from graft-versus-host disease.
Her scientific awards include:
- Basic Research Fellow Scholar Award (American Society of Hematology, 2008)
- Young Investigator Development Award (Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, 2010)
- Early Career Faculty Travel Award (American Association of Immunologists, 2013)
- Laboratory Travel Award (American Association of Immunologists, 2016)
- Careers in Immunology Fellowship Award (American Association of Immunologists, 2016)
Dr. Cao has secured five NIH grants as PI, including R01 CA184728 (2015-2020) targeting granzyme B to separate GVHD from GVL responses, R01 HL135325 (2018-2023) on CD27/CD70 regulation of inflammatory T cells, and R01 HL159973 (2022-2026) investigating β-2 adrenergic signaling in immune reconstitution. She currently leads an active R01 and has an R21 AI187788 approved for 2025-2027 studying CD27-mediated immune suppression.
Her laboratory operates within the Tumor Immunology & Immunotherapy Program at the University of Maryland, utilizing syngeneic tumor models, allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation systems, and translational patient studies to develop T cell-based cancer immunotherapies.
