Booki Min, DVM, PhD
Professor, Microbiology-Immunology
Research Program
Cancer-Focused Research
Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells are central regulators of immunity and tolerance. The importance of Treg cells in immunity is well demonstrated by the finding that defects in Treg cell generation or function directly lead to systemic multi-organ autoimmune inflammation that often results in premature death in human and mice. There is emerging evidence that Treg cell suppressive functions are diminished in inflammation and enhanced in tumors. Therefore, approaches targeting Treg cell functions could be beneficial not only to treat chronic inflammation but also to boost anti-tumor immunity. The long term goal of Dr. Minâs research is to identify the underlying mechanisms by which Treg cell functions are altered. In particular, Dr. Minsâ current research focuses on identifying factors and pathways directly controlling Treg cell function, and IL-27 and Lag3 were identified as important regulators of Treg cell functions. Utilizing newly developed animal models in which IL-27 and Lag3 can be targeted in a cell type specific manner, Dr. Minâs group aims to identify novel therapeutic strategies to treat both inflammation and tumors by targeting IL-27 and Lag3 in Treg cells.