Professor Yaohe Wang

Group Leader

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Profile
Overview
Team
Research
Key Publications
Major Funding
Other Activities
Biography
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Professor of Cancer Cell and Gene Therapy

Centre for Cancer Biomarkers & Biotherapeutics

Overview

We work on cancer prevention and immunotherapy using tumour-targeted replicating oncolytic viruses, in particular focusing on replicating adenovirus and vaccinia virus.

Team

Research

The major research interest in my group is developing new cancer immunotherapy agents or/and approaches through comprehensive investigations into the interaction of oncolytic viruses, tumour cells, tumour microenvironment and host immune responses.

Our four main research areas of interests are:

Identification of potential targets for the development of novel cancer cell and gene therapies
Development of new generation viral vectors for cell and gene therapies, in particular focusing on adenovirus, vaccinia virus and adeno-associated virus
Development of personalised cancer vaccines and adoptive T cell transfer therapies, such as CAR-T and TCR-T therapies for cancer
Development of genetically modified cancer models, in particular focusing on the development of transgenic Syrian hamster cancer models.

Key Publications

A systemically deliverable oncolytic Vaccinia virus demonstrates potent anti-tumor efficacy and sensitizes pancreatic cancer to α-PD1. J Immunother Cancer (2021) 9(1):e001624. PMID: 33500259

Transient Inhibition of PI3Kδ Enhances the Therapeutic Effect of Intravenous Delivery of Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus. Mol Ther (2020) 28(5):1263-1275. PMID: 32145202

A Virus-Infected, Reprogrammed Somatic cell-derived Tumor cell (VIReST) regime can prevent initiation and progression of pancreatic cancer. Clin Can Res (2019) 26(2):465. PMID: 31767564

Re-designing Interleukin-12 to enhance its safety and potential as an anti-tumor immunotherapeutic agent. Nature communications (2017) 8(1): 1395. PMID: 29123084

CEACAM6 attenuates adenovirus infection by antagonizing viral trafficking in cancer cells. J Clin Invest (2009) 119(6):1604-15. PMID: 19411761

See recent publications

Major Funding

2021-2026- Medical Research Council Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme grant, ‘Pre-clinical development for IND application of a novel systemically deliverable oncolytic Vaccinia virus for treatment of pancreatic cancer.’ £3.68M (Principal Investigator)
2024-2026- Innovate UK Preclinical development of systemically deliverable oncolytic vaccinia virus for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. £498,360 (Joint Leading PI)
2024-2026– VacV Biotherapeutics Ltd. Development of VacV001 and VacV003 as new cancer therapeutics in solid tumours.£337,520 (Principal Investigator)
2022-2024- Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, ‘Development of an enhanced oncolytic Vaccinia virus-based therapeutic regime that simultaneously targets multiple elements of the tumour promoting microenvironment in pancreatic cancer.’ £220,000 (Principal Investigator).

Other Activities

2022-present- Chief Scientific Officer, Chief founder, VacV Biotherapeutics Ltd.
2018-present- Standing Committee Member of Asia-Pacific Gene and Therapy Consortium
2018-present- Founding Chairman of Syrian Hamster Disease Models Association
2015-present- Editorial Board member of “Journal of Clinical Immunology and Immunotherapy”
2014-present- Director of National Centre for International Research in Cell and Gene Therapy, Zhengzhou University
2014-present- Editorial Board member of Molecular Therapy-Oncolytics
2011-present- Active Member of American Society of Microbiology
2008-2010- Editorial Board member of Gene Therapy
2006-present- Chief Scientific Officer, Sino-British Research Centre for Molecular Oncology, Zhengzhou University, China
2005-present- Visiting Professor in Cancer Viral and Genetic Therapy, Zhengzhou University of China
2005-present- Active Member of American Society of Gene Therapy
Research grant Assessor for grant awarding bodies: European Research Council, British Medical Research Council (MRC), The Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK, AICR, Ministry of Science and Technology, Netherland, International Association of Cancer Research, Natural Science Foundation of China and several UK Charities, Tenovus Charity.
Reviewers for scientific journals: Journal of Clinical Investigation, Cancer Research, Clinical Cancer Research, Molecular Therapy, Oncogene, J Path, Gene Therapy, Br J Cancer, Journal for immunotherapy of Cancer etc.

Biography

I qualified in medicine and obtained my PhD in 1997. From 1999 to 2005, I undertook postdoctoral research in molecular biology of cancer as well as cancer viral and genetic therapy at the MRC Toxicology Unit in Leicester University and the Cancer Research UK Molecular Oncology Unit based at Imperial College London.

I joined the Barts Cancer Institute (formerly Institute of Cancer) on 1st July 2005 as a Lecturer. I was promoted to a senior Lecturer and subsequently Reader in Molecular Oncology in 2007 and 2011, respectively, and became Professor of Cancer Cell and Gene Therapy in 2015.

I established the first Sino-British Research Centre for Molecular Oncology with Prof Nick Lemoine in 2006. The Centre was a joint venture entity between Queen Mary University of London and Zhengzhou University. The Centre was elected as a National Centre for International Research in Cell and Gene Therapy by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China in 2014. I have been appointed as the Director of the Centre since then.

I have been working in cancer virotherapy since 2001 with a substantial track record of publications in prestigious scientific journals such as “Nature Biotechnology”, “The Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI)”, “Gut”, and “Nature Communications”, etc.

My long-term research aim is to develop more effective cancer cell and gene therapies based on the genetically engineered oncolytic virus platform, for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human cancer, and advance them into clinical testing.

Related News

Cancer-killing virus treatment shows promise in brain tumour trial

An innovative cancer-killing virus shows promise for tackling glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain tumour, according to new results from a phase I clinical trial co-led by researchers at Barts Cancer Institute.

General News 8 November 2024

International study reveals four distinct types of oesophageal cancer

New research reveals that the most common type of oesophageal cancer, oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), is composed of four distinct subtypes—each of which may benefit from different treatment approaches.

General News 23 October 2024

Our pancreatic cancer research

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and today (19th November) is World Pancreatic Cancer Day. Join us in looking back at some of our pancreatic cancer research from the last year.

General News 19 November 2020

First steps towards a vaccine for pancreatic cancer

Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute and Zhengzhou University have developed a personalised vaccine system that could ultimately delay the onset of pancreatic cancer. The study reports the team’s work with a pre-clinical model using mice, and provides strong proof-of-concept for the creation of a vaccine for cancer prevention in individuals at high risk of developing this disease.

General News 26 November 2019

Steps towards the development of a new immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer

A research team led by Professor Yaohe Wang at the Barts Cancer Institute (BCI) of Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) has created a novel oncolytic viral agent expressing interleukin-12 (IL-12) that shows promise as a potential anti-tumour immunotherapy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

General News 23 January 2018