Feng Lab
Principal Investigator: Hui Feng
Institution: Boston Medical Center (Boston, MA)
Primary Subfield: Neuroscience
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
PROJECT SUMMARY Enhanced MYCN activity drives the initiation, progression, and treatment resistance of multiple solid tumors, especially those arising from the brain, the spinal cord, or neural crest. Neuroblastoma, derived from the peripheral sympathetic ganglia, accounts for the second leading cause of deaths among children with solid tumors. Like many other solid tumors, MYCN-driven high-risk neuroblastoma harbors an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), characterized by few cytotoxic lymphocytes and poor responses to immunotherapy. Despite intensive efforts, the mechanisms through which MYCN promotes an immunosuppressive TME remain incompletely understood and strategies to overcome this challenge are lacking. We recently reported that MYCN-driven neuroblastoma increases the secretion of CKLF1, a chemokine- like factor (CKLF) isoform, to recruit CD4+ cells to the TME, inducing immunosuppression and tumor aggressiveness. Analyses of primary neuroblastoma samples demonstrate a strong connection between MYCN, CKLF, and poor patient prognosis. The zebrafish model of MYCN-driven neuroblastoma simulates the immune system and tumor development in children and resembles human…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R01NS140967-02: Mechanisms of lmmunosuppression in MYCN-driven Neuroblastoma (2026)
- 1R01NS140967-01: Mechanisms of lmmunosuppression in MYCN-driven Neuroblastoma (2025)
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