Welcome to the Yarchoan Laboratory
We are a translational laboratory broadly focused on developing novel cancer immunotherapies, with a particular emphasis on primary liver cancers. Clinically, our work centers on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), and fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC).
areas of Current research
Therapeutic cancer vaccines and TCR-T therapies
We develop next-generation cancer vaccines for HCC, CCA, and FLC. Our team previously led analyses of a personalized DNA vaccine and created novel vaccines for both CCA and FLC. Current work focuses on learning from vaccine-derived specimens to design improved vaccine strategies. We are also developing TCR-based therapies for FLC and other cancers, informed by T-cell repertoires from vaccine responders.
Tumor immune microenvironment in gastrointestinal cancers
Using human specimens and preclinical models, we investigate barriers to antitumor immunity in GI cancers and strategies to overcome the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. A major focus is comparing responders and non-responders to neoadjuvant immunotherapy to understand how the tumor immune microenvironment shapes outcomes. Recent work also examines how tumor metabolic programs influence the immune milieu.
Biomarkers of anti-PD-1 response and toxicity
Our laboratory leads the Johns Hopkins Immunotherapy Biobank, a pan-tumor effort collecting longitudinal blood samples from immunotherapy-treated patients. This resource enables discovery of mechanisms driving therapeutic response and immune-related toxicities. Prior work identified tumor mutational burden (TMB) >10 as a predictor of tumor-agnostic benefit from anti-PD-1 therapy and revealed Th2/Th17 signatures associated with immune toxicities.