The immune system is determined by both positive costimulation and negative coinhibition. We discovered new members of the costimulatory/coinhibitory B7 family and CD28 family including B7x, HHLA2 and TMIGD2, identified the KIR3DL3-HHLA2 immunosuppressive pathway and the TMIGD2-HHLA2 immunostimulatory pathway, demonstrated the biology and therapeutic potential of the KIR2DL5-PVR pathway, and contributed to other immune checkpoints B7-H3, Tim-3, ICOS, PD-L1/PD-1, BTNL2, etc. We use a variety of approaches (gene knock-out/transgenic mice, humanized mice, patient samples, monoclonal antibodies, single-cell RNA sequencing, structure, imaging, etc) to understand how new immune checkpoints regulate immune cells. Current emphasis in the lab: new immune checkpoints and cancer immunotherapies,  autoimmune diseases and immunotherapies, metabolic diseases and immunotherapies.

A new immune checkpoint inhibitor from our lab is currently in phase II clinical trials in patients with advanced solid cancers (non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, head and neck cancer, melanoma) or recurrent/refractory hematologic malignancies (acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, lymphoma). Another novel first-in-class immune checkpoint inhibitor from our lab will start clinical trials in 2023. Our research has formed scientific foundation and core intellectual property for several start-up drug companies.