Vignali Lab
Principal Investigator: Dario Aa Vignali
Institution: University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA)
Primary Subfield: Molecular & Cell Bio
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
PROJECT SUMMARY I have been dissecting the mechanisms of immune regulation for ~27 years, and have been discovering and dissecting immune inhibitory mechanisms in cancer for over 10 years. Cancer immunology and immunotherapy now occupy ~80% of my research and translational focus. This has not only led to numerous cancer-focused high impact papers (11; Nature [1], Cell [1], Nature Immunology [4], Immunity [3], Science Immunology [1]; Cancer Research [1]), with 5 since 2016, but has also facilitated the development of immunotherapeutics targeting LAG3, EBI3 and NRP1 in multiple cancer clinical trials, some in Phase III. Inhibitory mechanisms within the tumor microenvironment (TME) represent major barriers to effective anti-tumor immunity. Although striking efficacy has been reported with inhibitory receptor (IR) blockade, it’s clear that additional inhibitory mechanisms will need to be targeted to substantially improve therapeutic outcome in most tumor types and for most patients. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are potent inhibitors of anti-tumor immunity. Although Treg ablation results in rapid tumor shrinkage in multiple cancer models, this is not a viable therapeutic approach due to t…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R35CA263850-06: Regulatory T cells and the tumor microenvironment (2026)
- 5P01AI108545-12: Synergies among inhibitory receptors in tolerance and disease (2026)
- 5R01AI144422-08: Structure, Function and Mechanistic Analysis of LAG3 (2026)
- 5P01AI108545-12: Core B - Mutant Mouse Core (2026)
- 5P01AI108545-12: Core D - Recombinant Antibody Core (2026)
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