The Tumor Immunology Laboratory studies the immunological landscape of cancer with a specific emphasis on tumor-specific T and B cell responses in human papillomavirus-positive (HPV+) head and neck cancer (HNC). Recent studies demonstrated that the presence of B cell in the tumor microenvironment, especially in the form of tertiary lymphoid structures, is associated with improved response rates to immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI). However, how B cells contribute to improved ICI responses is not known.
Our data show that HPV-specific B cells and CD8+ T cells are readily detectable in HPV+ HNC tumors, with active secretion of HPV-specific antibodies in situ (Wieland et al., Nature 2021; Eberhardt et al., Nature 2021). Thus, a major focus of our lab is to gain a better understanding of the role of these intratumoral B cells in anti-tumor immunity.
These data will aid in the development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies harnessing the therapeutic potential of tumor-specific B cells and synergizing with current immunotherapies to ultimately improve patient outcomes.
Our data show that HPV-specific B cells and CD8+ T cells are readily detectable in HPV+ HNC tumors, with active secretion of HPV-specific antibodies in situ (Wieland et al., Nature 2021; Eberhardt et al., Nature 2021). Thus, a major focus of our lab is to gain a better understanding of the role of these intratumoral B cells in anti-tumor immunity.
These data will aid in the development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies harnessing the therapeutic potential of tumor-specific B cells and synergizing with current immunotherapies to ultimately improve patient outcomes.
Our objectives
The objectives of our lab include identifying the major antigenic determinants of intratumoral B and T cells in HPV+ HNC, explaining the mechanisms by which intratumoral B cells impact anti-tumor T cell responses, and developing novel HPV-specific human monoclonal antibodies from intratumoral B cells.Our team
- Arline Joachim, BS
Our publications
- Eberhardt CD., Kissick HT., Patel MR., Cardenas MA., Prokhnevska N., Obeng RC., Nasti TH., Griffith CC., Im SJ., Wang X., Shin DM., Carrington M., Chen ZG., Sidney J., Sette A., Saba NF., Wieland A.*, Ahmed R. (2021) Functional HPV-specific PD-1+ stem-like CD8 T cells in head and neck cancer. Nature. 597(7875):279-284 *co-senior and co-corresponding author
- Wieland A.*, Patel MR., Cardenas MA., Eberhardt CS., Hudson WH., Obeng RC., Griffith CC., Wang X., Chen ZG., Kissick HT., Saba NF., Ahmed R. (2021) Defining HPV-specific B cell responses in head and neck cancer patients. Nature. 597(7875):274-278 *co-corresponding author
- Eberhardt CS., Wieland A., Nasti TH., Grifoni A., Wilson E., Schmid DS., Pulendran B., Sette A., Waller EK., Rouphael N., Ahmed R. (2020) Persistence of varicella-zoster virus-specific plasma cells in adult human bone marrow following childhood vaccination. JVI. 94(13)
- Wieland A.*, Ahmed R. (2019) Fc receptors in anti-microbial protection. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 423:119-150 *corresponding author
- Wieland A.*, Kamphorst AO., Valanparambil RM., Han JH., Xu X., Choudhury BP., Ahmed R. (2018) Enhancing FcR-mediated antibody effector functions during persistent viral infection. Sci Immunol. 3(27). pii: eaao3125 *co-corresponding author
- Wieland A., Kamphorst AO., Adsay NV., Masor JJ., Sarmiento J., Nasti TH., Darko S., Douek DC., Xue Y., Curran WJ., Lawson DH., Ahmed R. (2018) T cell receptor sequencing of activated CD8 T cells in the blood identifies tumor-infiltrating clones that expand after PD-1 therapy and radiation in a melanoma patient. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 67(11):1767-1776
- Kamphorst AO., Wieland A., Nasti T., Yang S., Zhang R., Barber DL., Konieczny BT., Daugherty CZ., Koenig L., Yu K., Sica GL., Sharpe AH., Freeman GJ., Blazar BR., Turka LA., Owonikoko TK., Pillai R., Ramalingam SS., Araki K., Ahmed R. (2017) Rescue of exhausted CD8 T cells by PD-1-targeted therapies is CD28-dependent. Science. 355(6332):1423-1427
- Wieland A., Shashidharamurthy R., Kamphorst AO., Han JH., Aubert RA., Choudhoury BP., Stowell SR., Lee J., Punkosdy GA., Shlomchik MJ., Selvaraj P., Ahmed R. (2015) Antibody effector functions mediated by Fc-receptors are compromised during persistent viral infection. Immunity. 42(2):367-378
- Penaloza-MacMaster P., Kamphorst AO., Wieland A., Araki K., Iyer SS., West EE., Yang S., O’Mara L., Konieczny BT., Sharpe AH., Freeman GJ., Rudensky AY., Ahmed R. (2014) Interplay between regulatory T cells and PD-1 in modulating T cell exhaustion and viral control during chronic LCMV infection. JEM. 211(9):1905-18
All full list of publications can be found here.
Contact us
We are always looking for highly motivated people to join our group and work on various projects in the realm of immuno-oncology. If interested, please reach out to Andreas.Wieland@osumc.edu.
Graduate students interested in lab rotations and undergraduates looking for research experience, please email Dr. Wieland.
Prospective postdoctoral fellows interested in immune-oncology, please email Dr. Wieland with a cover letter stating your research interests, your latest CV and contact information of three references.
Graduate students interested in lab rotations and undergraduates looking for research experience, please email Dr. Wieland.
Prospective postdoctoral fellows interested in immune-oncology, please email Dr. Wieland with a cover letter stating your research interests, your latest CV and contact information of three references.