Pin Wang, PhD

The Wang laboratory focuses on an emerging field of “immunobioengineering” with the aim of employing engineering tools and principles to quantitatively understand the immune system in health and disease and to develop novel molecular and cellular immunotherapies by precisely modulating disease-specific immune responses. The ongoing research research projects include: 1) exploring various strategies to engineer virus-derived vector systems for dendritic cell-targeted vaccine delivery and oncolytic virus-based immunotherapy; 2) designing and optimizing cellular immunotherapy that is based on molecular engineering of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs); 3) exploring immune cells as drug carriers for targeted delivery of immunomodulatory drugs to enhance cancer immunotherapy; 4) exploring systems biology tools for modeling and understanding details of signaling pathways mediated by designer molecules such as chimeric antigen receptors to activate T cells; 5) developing engineering methods to improve adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene delivery. In this research laboratory, bioengineers collaborate with chemists, immunologists, computer scientists, and system biologists to directly address problems in translational immunology and develop and optimize innovative approaches to improve lives of patients suffering from cancer and infectious diseases.

• In situ Redirection of T cell Specificity and Imaging of Targeted CAR Expression.
  NIH · R01EB017206 · Sep 1, 2013 – Aug 31, 2020 · Role: Co-Principal Investigator
• SUPR Peptides to Inhibit Undruggable Cancer Target (PQ18)
  NIH · R01CA170820 · Sep 17, 2012 – Jun 30, 2017 · Role: Co-Principal Investigator
• Targeting lentiviruses to infect chosen cells
  NIH · R01AI068978 · Feb 1, 2006 – Jan 31, 2012 · Role: Principal Investigator

• Cancer Immunotherapy
• Immunoengineering
• T Cell Engineering
• Chimeric Antigen Receptor
• Cancer Vaccine
• Gene Therapy
• Immuno-Oncology

• AIDS: USC Says Prof Pin Wang Has Invented 'A Virus That Hunts Down HIV-Infected Cells'

• Lieberman, Jay
• Wang, Rongfu
• Priceman, Saul
• Ito, Fumito
• Cannon, Paula
• Abouelenein, Mohamed