Yair Reisner
Professor
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Department of Stem Cell Transplantation
The investigative focus of the Reisner Laboratory consists of immune tolerance mechanisms in stem cell transplantation and cell therapy. Our research goals are to overcome alloreactivity in mismatched donors, and to improve patient outcomes with mismatched (haploidentical) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and ‘off-the-shelf ‘cellular immunotherapy. Additionally, we're developing novel strategies for lung regeneration by means of lung stem cell transplantation. Work in our lab is focused on mechanisms of immune-tolerance induction, characterization of lung stem cells and the clinical translation of effective therapies for bone marrow and organ transplantation, cell therapy and regenerative medicine.
Recently, major insights from our work could potentially pave the way for safe haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation under reduced conditioning for patients with hematological malignancies and as a platform for organ transplantation and cell therapy. In parallel to the major drive to improve outcome of transplants, a primary aim of our studies addresses mechanisms of tolerance induction by progenitor cells in the bone marrow, and by other tolerizing cells, including CD8 veto T-cells. A clinical trial using CD8 veto cells is expected to start this year.
Very recently, we described a new curative approach for lung diseases based on transplantation of fetal lung stem cells (Nature Medicine ; 2015) and most recently that of adult lung stem cells (Stem Cell Translation Medicine; 2018). It is hoped that these studies will pave the way for curative transplantation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Cystic Fibrosis, and other lung diseases. Our major basic research studies aim to characterize the lung stem cells used in our transplantation procedure.
Students sponsored in the Reisner laboratory would have access to the core facilities and access to the extensive network of support provided at the institute. In addition to this, our laboratory consists highly contemporary research equipment and facilities, and a breadth of experience among staff. Among many other laboratory procedures, they would also gain experience with cell and tissue culture, confocal microscopy, two photon microscopy, CYTOF , single cells analysis , light microscopy, tissue sectioning, histology, and experience in transplantation and cellular therapy with both in-vivo and ex-vivo models.
Education & Training
Ph.D, Weizmann Institute of Science, 1978