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The Rahat Lab for Immunotherapy

Research in the lab is focused on the interaction of macrophages with other cell types (e.g. cancer cells, tissue epithelial cells, endothelial cells) in the context of the changing tumor/inflammatory microenvironment (e.g. ischemia/hypoxia).

We focus on the mechanisms that allow macrophages to support tumor growth by enhancing angiogenesis and invasion/metastasis, and to support the promotion and maintenance of cancer or chronic inflammatory/autoimmune diseases, particularly through their interaction with the multifunctional protein CD147/EMMPRIN.

We focus on the following areas of research:

• The role of CD147/EMMPRIN in tumor progression, dormancy and metastasis
•  Active vaccination and passive immunization targeting a novel epitope in CD147/EMMPRIN
• CD147/EMMPRIN as a regulator of macrophage interactions with other cell types