Li's Laboratory

Peng li, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator, Professor

Dr. Peng li received his B. Sc. in Biology from Tsinghua University in 2006 and obtained his Ph.D from University of Cambridge in 2010. During his study in Cambridge, he found that T-cells at all developmental stages reprogram to natural killer-like cells upon Bcl11b deletion and named the NK-like cells as Induced-T-to-NK (ITNK) cells. It has been demonstrated that ITNKs has potential application in cancer immunotherapy. In 2011, Dr. Peng Li joined Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences as a principal investigator. His lab mainly focuses on the study of pre-clinical cancer immunotherapy.

Personnel: 

Dr. Chen Lili Postdoc
Dr. Liu Zhixin Postdoc
Mr. Li Wei Research Associate
Miss. Huang Xiaoli Research Associate
Mr. Li tianzhong Graduate Student
Mr. Xiao Yiren Graduate Student

Research:
Bcl11b is essential for T cell development and the maintenance of T cell identity. After Bcl11b ablation, T cells reprogram to ITNKs, which can kill tumor cells in vitro and prevent tumor metastasis in vivo. Therefore, ITNKs may represent a new cell source for cell-based therapiesfor cancer treatment. Currently, we are working on:
1.Mechanisms of reprogramming from Bcl11b deficient T cells to ITNK cells.
2.Mechanisms ITNKs recognition for tumor targets.
3.Derivation for ITNK from human T lymphocytes.


Publications:

1.	Li P, et al. (2010) Reprogramming of T cells to natural killer-like cells upon Bcl11b deletion. Science 329(5987):85-89.
2.	Liu P, Li P, & Burke S (2010) Critical roles of Bcl11b in T-cell development and maintenance of T-cell identity. Immunol Rev 238(1):138-149.