About
Gloryn Chia Lab
Established in Nov 2019 - Present
The Gloryn Chia Lab at the National University of Singapore's Department of Pharmacy is dedicated to pioneering research in cancer immunotherapy, with a primary focus on the development of neoantigen cancer vaccines and T cell receptor (TCR)-based therapies. Our lab aims to harness the immune system’s precision to create personalized treatments that target tumors more effectively and durably. We have built a comprehensive pipeline for the identification and validation of neoantigens, enabling us to design individualized immunotherapies based on each patient’s tumor mutational profile. In parallel, we investigate novel shared alternative neoantigens to support the development of universal vaccine strategies that can benefit larger patient populations.
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Our lab is committed to translational research that bridges basic science and clinical application. We actively collaborate with clinicians, bioinformaticians, and immunologists to drive next-generation cancer immunotherapies forward.
Research Interest
Neoantigen Therapy
We have developed a pipeline to find and test neoantigens for use in personalized cancer vaccines and TCR-based therapies. This involves analyzing tumor DNA, RNA, and proteins to predict neoantigens from mutations, gene fusions, or splicing changes, followed by lab tests to confirm their ability to trigger immune responses. At the same time, we will study shared neoantigens from common RNA changes in cancer, which could lead to more widely usable treatments. This approach aims to support both personalized and off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapies.
Immunotherapy
Our lab works to find and study new targets for cancer immunotherapy, aiming to help the immune system better detect and destroy cancer cells. We focus on how tumors avoid immune attacks by looking at tumor-specific antigens, immune checkpoints, and antigen presentation pathways using lab models and patient samples. Based on these findings, we develop treatments like TCR-engineered T cells and test combination therapies to improve current immunotherapies and tackle resistance. Our goal is to create more effective, long-lasting, and widely usable cancer treatments.
Our lab studies how immune dysfunction contributes to drug-resistant cancers. We examine how long-term drug treatment changes tumor-immune interactions, leading to immune evasion, weakened T cell activity, and changes in the tumor environment. Using genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data, we identify key pathways involved in immune resistance, such as poor antigen presentation and immune suppression. Through lab experiments and models, we explore how these changes reduce the effectiveness of immunotherapies and aim to find vulnerable points that can be targeted to restore immune function. Our goal is to develop combination treatments that improve immune response and outcomes for patients with hard-to-treat cancers.
Tumor Biology