CARMEN WONG

Immunotherapies have revolutionized cancer treatment due to recent successful clinical trials with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in multiple cancers including HCC. However, only a subset of HCC patients respond to ICIs. Our research aims to characterize the immune landscape of HCC and studies how tumor microenvironmental factors (inflammation, hypoxia, stromal cells, extracellular matrix) intertwine to influence intratumoral immune contexture in HCC, thereby allowing cancer cells to evade from immune surveillance and resist ICIs. Currently, we are investigating new immunotherapies as well as resistance mechanisms to ICIs, with the aim to identify new therapeutic targets to improve their efficacy. Immune cells reside in the same microenvironment and share the same nutrients with cancer cells. Another interesting area that we are exploring is the unique metabolic programs of cancer and immune cells and how they affect the therapeutic responses. Also, we are particularly interested..