Outsmarting Cancer with Our Body’s Own Defence System

At A*STAR’s Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), scientists are working to advance immunology research for the development of novel treatments in areas such as infectious diseases, cancer, tumours and autoimmune dysfunctions.

A*STAR scientists execute their research in a stimulating and well-supported ecosystem with extensive ties to the international scientific community. Access to cutting-edge technologies as well as collaborative partnerships with local medical institutions and industry enable them to focus on basic and translational research which foster the discovery of new treatments and diagnostic tests for patients.

Principal Investigators Dr Subhra K. Biswas and Dr Wu Wei play key roles in SIgN, pursuing better health outcomes for Singapore and Singaporeans. While they work in different areas of innate and adaptive immunology, both scientists relish the excitement and challenges that come with pushing the boundaries of immunology research to advance life-saving therapies.

Read on as the two researchers share their research work, career highlights, contributions to science and advice for budding scientists.

DR SUBHRA K. BISWAS
Principal Investigator
Singapore Immunology Network, Human Innate Immunity Lab

For Dr Subhra K. Biswas, his father was the catalyst who set him on his immunology career path, but it was the various wonderful mentors he had worked with over the years that shaped his growing interest in the field.

He shares about his younger days, “I enjoyed biological sciences so my father, who was a nuclear scientist, suggested that I take up immunology because of its fundamental role in fighting disease.”

Dr Biswas went on to complete his PhD in Biotechnology (Cellular Immunology) at Banaras Hindu University, India, before pursuing his postdoctoral studies at the Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri” in Milan, Italy, working on the first molecular characterisation of tumour associated macrophages under the guidance of renowned immunologists, Profs Alberto Mantovani and Antonio Sica. Dr Biswas was featured in the world’s most highly cited researcher list for 2021, published by Clarivate.

Dr Biswas’ research centres around innate immune cells like macrophages, that are not only the first line of defence in fighting disease, but also play a fundamental role in physiology. Defective activation of these cells has been linked to various diseases, so by studying these cells, researchers like Dr Biswas can understand disease mechanisms and find ways to regulate overall immune response.

He has witnessed both the research institute and the immunology field make rapid progress with cutting-edge, high dimensional immuno-monitoring techniques. These technologies allow researchers to investigate the immunology in patient samples to an incredible depth, which was “unimaginable a few years back”, he says.

He reveals, “When I started working on tumour macrophages 17 years back, nothing much was known about them, especially in human cancers. Today, tumour macrophage targeting therapies are being tested in clinical trials, while monocyte/macrophage-specific signatures have gone on to patient screening. So, while the macrophage field is still early for mainstream clinical application, I see a bright future ahead.”

For this music lover who enjoys art and reading philosophy in his leisure time, science is no longer just a job but a passion. His advice for aspiring young scientists reflects a well-grounded personality: “Do not let yourself get too carried away over where your work gets published. Instead, derive satisfaction from a piece of research done well and validation by your peers. Ultimately, science is about the excitement of discovery, collaboration with like-minded colleagues, and making a difference to human health.”

DR WU WEI
Principal Investigator
Singapore Immunology Network, Immuno-oncology Division

She takes pride in her local educational pedigree, citing the rigorous educational and PhD training that she had undergone in Singapore as the reason she was able to shine during her early years as an investigator. Following a postdoctoral traineeship under the tutelage of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Professor Albert Heck, she ran her own laboratory in the Netherlands for five years before joining SIgN in 2022.

Dr Wu and her lab team at SIgN are focused on cancer antigen targeting and understanding tissue microenvironmental crosstalk.

At A*STAR, Dr Wu and her team work on characterising tumour surface signatures, with the intent of developing cancer vaccines and immuno-therapeutics for patients. With the prevalence of colon and lung cancers in Singapore and the region, the development of effective vaccines for these cancers will make a direct and positive impact to the health of local populations. Their work can also be further extended into precision therapy to treat cancer sub-types.

A well-rounded scientist, Dr Wu plays as hard as she works, and is a firm believer of taking planned breaks to refresh and reboot with new goals for the year. Despite the serious nature of her work, she sees creativity as an essential ingredient in immunological research. In her view, a good dose of creativity is necessary to develop new and novel ways to “trick” tumours and “educate” the immune system. She draws great satisfaction from being one of the first few people to know how something works, and even enjoys making small coffee bets with colleagues on whose creative theory is experimentally correct.

With her enthusiasm and love for her work, Dr Wu emphasises the need for younger scientists to be bold and prepared if they intend to make research their career. She says, “Consider the skills needed to be a good scientist and sharpen them. It is about learning how to pick up new research ideas. Learn new skills to stay relevant, and when the opportunity comes, don’t hesitate to ride the wave. What matters are curiosity, passion and doing the right thing at the right moment.”