Bryce Chackerian, PhD

Full Member
Cancer Biology and Biotechnology Research Program

Assistant Professor
Molecular Genetics and Microbiology

Ph.D.
University of Washington

Fellowship
National Cancer Institute

Research Focus (interests and expertise)
My laboratory is interested in vaccine development; particularly the use of virus particles as platforms for antigen display. It has long been recognized that highly dense repetitive antigens such as virus particles induce strong immune responses. However, we have demonstrated that normally poorly immunogenic antigens can be made highly immunogenic by linking them and presenting them to the immune system on the surface of virus particles. We’ve shown that this ability to enhance immunogenicity does not only apply to epitopes derived from traditional targets, such as pathogens, but also to self-antigens that are normally subject to the mechanisms of B cell tolerance. Thus, a major focus of our work is to develop new vaccines against self-antigens that are involved in disease processes. We have studies to develop vaccines against the HIV-1 receptor CCR5 (for HIV infection), Amyloid-beta (for Alzheimer’s Disease), IgE (for allergy/asthma), and gastrin (for pancreatic cancer). We are also working to develop a new system for the rapid identification of vaccines.

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In the News
Professors work to develop vaccines