Cancer Immunology Group
2024 Cancer Immunology Group L-R: Ms Jessica Wu, Dr Gwo Yaw Ho, Ms Anh Doan
Our Vision
Our vision is to revolutionise cancer treatment by harnessing the power of precision immunotherapy. We aim to transform the lives of patients with aggressive, treatment-resistant cancers by developing innovative research platforms and delivering personalised medical approaches. By integrating cutting-edge immunology, genomics, and translational science, we strive to bring next-generation therapies from bench to bedside—tailored to the unique biology of each patient’s tumour and immune system.
About the Cancer Immunology Group
The Cancer Immunology Group, led by Dr Gwo-Yaw Ho, is committed to advancing precision cancer immunotherapy through a multidisciplinary approach that bridges discovery science with clinical translation. Our research is anchored around three core pillars: neoantigen discovery, humanised tumour modelling, and live-biobanking.
We focus on identifying immunogenic, HLA-presented tumour neoantigens—unique peptides derived from cancer-specific mutations and presented on the tumour cell surface. These neoantigens are prime targets for T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies, enabling selective recognition and elimination of cancer cells. Using a bespoke platform, we match these neoantigens with high-affinity TCRs and engineer them into immune effector cells for highly individualised immunotherapy.
To support pre-clinical validation and translational development, we have established advanced humanised patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models that integrate human immune components and faithfully recapitulate tumour-immune dynamics. These models allow us to functionally test and refine therapeutic strategies before moving into early-phase clinical trials.
Underpinning this research ecosystem is our Monash Live-Biobanking (MoLBi) platform, which enables real-time collection and processing of fresh tumour biospecimens across multiple cancer types. The platform preserves tumour viability for downstream applications including organoid and PDX generation, multi-omics profiling, and immunopeptidomic analysis. Our flagship sub-programs, including Brain on MoLBi, focus on hard-to-treat tumours such as glioblastoma, supporting the development of future personalised immunotherapies in these historically understudied diseases.
Together, these integrated capabilities place the Cancer Immunology Group at the forefront of personalised oncology, driving forward a new paradigm in cancer treatment centred on precision, immunogenicity, and translational impact.
