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Di Yu – Turning immune engineering into life-saving treatments

Our research focuses on developing next-generation immunotherapies that harness the immune system to treat cancer. The aim is overcome treatment resistance and improve outcomes, particularly in solid tumours. By bridging cutting-edge science with clinical translation, our goal is to turn innovative concepts into safe, scalable therapies that reach patients in need.

We work with two main types of advanced therapies: engineered immune cells, known as CAR-T cells, and oncolytic viruses – viruses that are designed to selectively infect and kill cancer cells.

Smarter CAR-T therapies

CAR-T cells are a form of personalized medicine, where a patient’s own immune cells are reprogrammed in the laboratory to recognize and attack tumour cells (Figure 1). While this approach has been highly successful in some blood cancers, many challenges remain. Tumours can escape detection, resist treatment, or create environments that weaken the immune response.

Our work aims to overcome these barriers by designing smarter and more powerful CAR-T therapies that not only target cancer directly but also activate the broader immune system.

Two films, one showing CAR-T cells that kill cancer cells and one showing non-modified T cells where the cancer cells remain.

The film on the right shows CAR-T cells killing lymphoma cancer cells (Daudi). Cancer cells are in red; CAR-T cells are in green. The film on the left shows a control with T cells that are not CAR-T cells. Film by Paola Contreras and Di Yu.

Close-up of CAR-T cells killing a cancer cell. Film by Paola Contreras and Di Yu.

Oncolytic viruses

Concurrently, we are developing oncolytic adenoviruses – genetically modified viruses capable of selectively targeting and eliminating cancer cells while also promoting anti-tumour immune responses. These therapies provide a complementary approach, especially for solid tumours where current modalities may have limited effectiveness.

Furthermore, oncolytic viruses can be engineered to deliver therapeutic transgenes, thereby enhancing their overall efficacy. ELC-201 and Adf35(OGN) are among the oncolytic virus candidates currently under investigation as we prepare for forthcoming clinical trials.

Microscope images of virus infected cells in grayscale with greeen spots.

Oncolytic adenovirus increased its infectivity drastically after viral surface engineering. Left – before surface engineering, right – after engineering. Photo by Di Yu.

Patient benefit

Yet another key part of our research is bringing these technologies closer to patients. This involves not only discovering new therapeutic approaches, but also ensuring they can be produced safely, consistently, and at a scale suitable for clinical use.

We work closely with clinicians, engineers, and industry partners to translate innovations from the laboratory into early clinical studies. Through this interdisciplinary approach, our goal is to expand the reach of effective immunotherapies to more patients, especially those with currently unmet medical needs.

Ultimately, our research is driven by a simple ambition: to turn scientific discoveries into real treatments that improve and save patients’ lives.