Dr. Gao studies how the tumor microenvironment influences anti-tumor immune responses. Her research focuses on lipid metabolism in cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), a specialized population of white blood cells that kill malignant cells. To defend against this attack, tumors release lipid metabolites that can incapacitate infiltrating CTLs. Consequently, these metabolites create an immunosuppressive environment and promote tumor progression. Dr. Gao aims to unravel the pathways utilized by these harmful lipids. She is also investigating whether modifying lipid metabolism in immune cells can unleash CTL response and accelerate tumor shrinking. These studies have the potential to identify new therapeutic targets that will improve immunotherapy.
Content courtesy of Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
published research
Chan AP, Jarrett KE, Lai RW, Brearley-Sholto MC, Cheng AS, Taveras MO, Iwata AM, Steel ME, Lau A, Whang EC, Kennelly JP, Gao Y, Rubert GE, Schmidt HM, Smith EP, Su B, Williams KJ, Tarling EJ, de Aguiar Vallim TQ. Bile acids regulate lipid metabolism through selective actions on fatty acid absorption. Cell Metab. 2025.
Gao Y, Kennelly JP, Xiao X, Whang E, Ferrari A, Bedard AH, Mack JJ, Nguyen A, Srikanth S, Weston T, Uchiyama LF, Cohn W, Cho DH, Lee MS, Whitelegge J, Gwack Y, Young SG, Bensinger SJ, Tontonoz P. T cell cholesterol transport links intestinal immune responses to dietary lipid absorption. Science. 2025.
Xiao X, Kennelly JP, Feng AC, Cheng L, Romartinez-Alonso B, Bedard A, Gao Y, Cui L, Young SG, Schwabe JW, Tontonoz P. Aster-B-dependent estradiol synthesis protects female mice from diet-induced obesity. J Clin Invest. 2024.
Ferrari A, Whang E, Xiao X, Kennelly JP, Romartinez-Alonso B, Mack JJ, Weston T, Chen K, Kim Y, Tol MJ, Bideyan L, Nguyen A, Gao Y, Cui L, Bedard AH, Sandhu J, Lee SD, Fairall L, Williams KJ, Song W, Munguia P, Russell RA, Martin MG, Jung ME, Jiang H, Schwabe JWR, Young SG, Tontonoz P. Aster-dependent nonvesicular transport facilitates dietary cholesterol uptake. Science. 2023.
Xiao X, Kennelly JP, Ferrari A, Clifford BL, Whang E, Gao Y, Qian K, Sandhu J, Jarrett KE, Brearley-Sholto MC, Nguyen A, Nagari RT, Lee MS, Zhang S, Weston TA, Young SG, Bensinger SJ, Villanueva CJ, de Aguiar Vallim TQ, Tontonoz P. Hepatic nonvesicular cholesterol transport is critical for systemic lipid homeostasis. Nat Metab. 2023.