# Single cell investigation of co-evolution in cancer cells and host cell immune microenvironment

> **NIH NIH R50** · DANA-FARBER CANCER INST · 2021 · $144,770

## Abstract

Project Summary
How cancer cells co-evolve with their host microenvironment immune cells remains a critical
question in immunotherapy. The Wu lab focuses on the study of antigen-specific interactions
and their involvement in the cellular and molecular pathways underlying anti-tumor immunity.
The DFCI Translational Immunogenomics Laboratory (TIGL) was created to expand technology
and computational capabilities developed within the Wu Lab and provide a dedicated resource
for immunogenomic analysis across different cancer types. My current portfolio of projects is
focused on designing the development of single cell/genomics techniques to understand the
crosstalk between tumor cells and immune cell populations within the tumor microenvironment
and the selective pressure they mutually exert on each other. In particular: (i) I have developed
the sensitive and robust rhTCRseq to determine paired alpha and beta-TCR clonotypes in
single cells as well as to perform TCR repertoire analysis in bulk RNA samples. It has already
revealed novel insights regarding the impact of immunotherapies, such as cancer vaccines, on
the generation of antigen-specific immunity, and is being widely applied to the monitoring of
other immunotherapy trials. (ii) For plate-based single-cell analysis and for bulk RNA samples, I
have developed a novel strategy to perform qPCR and transcriptome sequencing. In addition, I
have implemented a droplet-based 10x Genomics platform to study single cell transcriptome
and surface protein expression in the same single cells. (iii) I have expertise in generating
targeted multiplex RNA assays, aimed at simultaneous detection of genotype and transcriptome
information at the single cell level. Altogether these diverse approaches have been and are
being applied to several NCI-funded projects in the Wu Lab. Our new initiatives focus on the
further development and implementation of novel single cell genomics technologies and their
applications.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10238049
- **Project number:** 5R50CA251956-02
- **Recipient organization:** DANA-FARBER CANCER INST
- **Principal Investigator:** Shuqiang Li
- **Activity code:** R50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $144,770
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-15 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10238049

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10238049, Single cell investigation of co-evolution in cancer cells and host cell immune microenvironment (5R50CA251956-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10238049. Licensed CC0.

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