Contributed/ETSU

At East Tennessee State University, Dr. Qian Xie is working to bridge the gap between complex molecular biology and life-saving medical treatments. As an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Director for Biomedical Sciences Core Cellular Organization and Function Course, Dr. Xie leads research that could redefine how we treat some of the most aggressive forms of cancer by reprogramming the human immune system.

The need for this research is particularly urgent in this region. According to the American College of Surgeons, Appalachian cancer patients face a 12.8% higher mortality rate compared to the rest of the nation, even as overall cancer deaths decline across the country. Dr. Xie’s work is deeply rooted in addressing these disparities by developing advanced therapies in Johnson City.

At the center of Dr. Xie’s work is a protein called MET, which acts as an oncogene. This is a type of “on switch” that tells cancer cells to grow, invade tissues, and spread throughout the body. Her journey into this research began during her PhD, where she focused on how liver cancer metastasizes. During her postdoc fellowship, she expanded her focus to include both liver cancer and glioblastoma, a highly aggressive type of brain tumor that has been her current laboratory focus since she joined ETSU in 2016.

While traditional treatments like small-molecule inhibitors act like tools designed to hit a specific target, Dr. Xie realized that cancer is often smart enough to develop resistance. This led her to explore a cutting-edge strategy known as CAR T-cell therapy. In this process, a patient’s own immune cells are engineered in a lab to carry a specific “GPS” called a Chimeric Antigen Receptor, or CAR. This allows the cells to seek out and destroy cancer cells displaying the MET protein.

A significant breakthrough in Dr. Xie’s lab involves the development of these MET-targeting CAR T-cells. “We proved the concept initially in the cell culture system, and then we tested in animal models which worked well,” Dr. Xie said.

To ensure the research directly benefits the local community, she has been collaborating with local surgeons, Dr. Joseph Lee, to use blood samples from liver cancer patients in the region. This collaboration allows her to test the potential of treating liver cancer patients with these “smart” cells as a bridge toward future clinical testing. This project has led to two major publications from her team and a patent for the specific engineering of the MET-CAR vectors.

While her research reaches the global medical stage, Dr. Xie remains focused on the impact at home. “The next stage would be to optimize and make it work even better,” she said.

Her lab is currently working to optimize these cells to improve their effectiveness. By targeting the “tiny” but comprehensive signaling pathways that allow cancer to survive, Dr. Xie’s ultimate goal would be “to see this getting into the clinics for treating cancer patients.”

Though the road from the bench to the bedside takes time and significant funding, Dr. Xie remains focused on the scientific highlight of the work: developing smart, personized medicine for treating cancer patients in Appalachia and beyond.

Author

  • Cristal Ahmed

    I am a PhD candidate in the Biomedical Science program at Quillen College of Medicine, specializing in the Neuroscience concentration. As a first-generation Latina researcher, my doctoral work in the Justin T. Gass Laboratory focuses on the neurobiological intersections of Alcohol Use Disorder and PTSD, with a specific emphasis on mitochondrial health. Beyond the lab, I serve as the Social Media Manager and Activities Coordinator for the Biomedical Science graduate program, where I work to foster a connected and vibrant community for my fellow graduate students at East Tennessee State University.

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