Research Overview
The major goal of the laboratory is to dissect and pharmacologically target intracellular proteins to induce cancer cell death and manipulate the immune response. We are currently applying new research tools and prototype therapeutics that we, and others, have developed to target the BCL-2 family of proteins and other cell signaling proteins in immune cells.
A large part of our lab focuses on using portions of the actual proteins, or peptides, as drugs and biological tools to uncover specific molecular pathways in diseased and normal cells. Peptide-based therapeutics have enormous potential for immune modulation and direct cancer treatment but have traditionally lacked efficient stabilization and delivery within patients, and thereby, have had limited clinical applications. To are working to overcome these barriers within the lab and through collaboration with nanotechnologists and chemical engineers.
Overall, we are committed to translation of our findings to pediatric and adult patients with cancer and immune system disease. While performing research at the University of Chicago, we are in close proximity to scientists, clinicians, and patients and are deeply committed to working collaboratively with these groups to make significant inroads in treating those suffering from refractory disease.
Feature News
We are always looking for creative, motivated, and energetic postdocs to join our group and work in areas of translational immune modulation through targeting the BCL-2 family of proteins and nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery. If interested please contact the lab! (jlabelle@peds.bsd.uchicago.edu)
Thank you to the Myeloma Solutions Fund (MSF) to support our work in reactivating apoptosis in myeloma.
Thank you to John and Jill Svoboda for continuing to support the Svoboda Fellow to advance research to manipulate the immune response in patients with cancer.
Thank you to Lois and Jerry Beznos for their support in advancing our chemical biology and immunology research for children with cancer.
Lab News
Congrats Jocelyn for being awarded the Mary Ellen Connellan award for the 2024-25 academic year!
Congrats to Huu Van Le for earning 1st place at the UChicago Science and Engineering Industry Expo!
Congrats to Jocelyn Hsu for winning the NSF GRFP and passing her qualifying exam!
Congrats to Nada Aboelella for being selected to attend the 6th Annual SITC Women in Cancer Immunotherapy Network (WIN) Leadership Institute 2024!
Congrats to Ryan Park for winning 1st place in the Pediatric Research Day Poster Session!
Congrats to Nada Aboelella for earning the UCCCC Professional Development Grants for Trainee Associate Members for her trip to SITC2023 where she won the LUMICKS best poster award!
Welcome our newest postdoc, Huu Van Le, to the lab!
Welcome Jocelyn Hsu and Elaine Lee, graduate students from the Cancer Biology and PME programs, to the lab!
Welcome University of Chicago undergraduate students Viren Maira and Alexis Truta to the lab!
Selected Recent Publications
Rosy Liao, Jocelyn Y. Hsu, Nada S. Aboelella, Joshua A. McKeever, Anika T. Thomas-Toth, Andrew S. Koh, James L. LaBelle (2024). Venetoclax Induces BCL-2–Dependent Treg to TH17 Plasticity to Enhance the Antitumor Efficacy of Anti–PD-1 Checkpoint Blockade. Cancer Immunology Research. Liao et al. 2024
Sicheng Jiang, Yu Tian, Vlad Nicolaescu, Aslan Mansurov, Glenn Randall, Matthew V. Tirrell, James L. LaBelle (2024). The Role of Structural Flexibility in Hydrocarbon-Stapled Peptides Designed to Block Viral Infection via Human ACE2 Mimicry. Peptide Science. Jiang et al. 2024
Mathew R. Schnorenberg, Katrina M. Hawley, Anika T. Thomas-Toth, Elyse A. Watkins, Yu Tian, Jeffrey M. Ting, Logan B. Leak, Isadora M. Kucera, Michal M. Raczy, Andrew L. Kung, Jeffrey A. Hubbell, Matthew V. Tirrell, James L. LaBelle (2023) Targeted polymersome delivery of a stapled peptide for drugging the tumor protein p53:BCL-2-family axis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. ACS Nano.17, 23:23374-23390. Schnorenberg et al. 2023
Akshay Sharma, MBBS, Jaap-Jan Boelens, MD, PhD, Maria Cancio, MD, Jane S. Hankins, MD, MS, Prafulla Bhad, MSc, Andrew Lewandowski, PhD, Xiaojun Zhao, PhD, Shripad Chitnis, PhD, Radhika Peddinti, MD, Yan Zheng, MD, PhD, Neena Kapoor, MD, Fabio Ciceri, MD, Timothy Maclachlan, PhD, Yi Yang, PhD, Yi Liu, PhD, Jianping Yuan, PhD, Ulrike Naumann, MS, Vionnie Yu, PhD, Susan C. Stevenson, PhD, Serena De Vita, MD, PhD, James L. LaBelle, MD, PhD (2023) CRISPR-Cas9 Editing of the HBG1/HBG2 Promoters to Treat Sickle Cell Disease. N Engl J Med. 389:820-832. Sharma et al. 2023
Saygin, C., Eisfelder, B., Giordano, G., Shimamoto, K., Thomas-Toth, A., Venkataraman, G., Ananthanarayanan, V., Vincent, T.L., DuVall, A., Patel, A.A., Chen, Y., Tan, F., Anthony, S.P., Chen, Y., Shen, Y., Olatoyosi, O., Teachey, D., LaBelle, J.L.*, Stock, W.* (equal contributions) (2023). Dual targeting of apoptotic and signaling pathways in T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Clinical Cancer Research. Jun 26, CCR-23-0415. Saygin et al. 2023