Dr. Jongbok Lee
Positions
Assistant Professor
Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Full Member
Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute
Child Health & Wellness Researcher
Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute
Affiliations
Assistant Professor
Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Contact information
Phone number
Office: 403.220.8693
Location
Office: Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre8th floor
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Funding
Study participants
Background
Biography
Dr. Jongbok Lee is an immunotherapy researcher who earned his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto, where he focused on studying a specific type of immune cell therapy called allogeneic CD3+ CD4- CD8- double-negative T cells (DNT) for treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML). He explored its safety and effectiveness using preclinical models and investigated its potential as an 'off-the-shelf' therapy.
After completing his Ph.D., he pursued post-doctoral research at the University Health Network. During this time, he demonstrated how DNT could be combined with other treatments like Venetoclax (a Bcl-2 inhibitor), Azacytidine (a hypomethylating drug), and CAR T-cell technology. His work aimed to understand how DNT interacts with AML and the mechanisms behind it.
Moreover, Dr. Lee played a vital role in a phase I clinical trial that showcased the feasibility, safety, and potential efficacy of allogeneic DNT therapy for AML patients who had relapsed after undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
In July 2023, Dr. Lee established his research lab at the University of Calgary in the Cumming School of Medicine. His primary objectives are to develop innovative immune cell-based treatments for acute myeloid leukemia using DNTs that can make a positive impact on cancer patients' lives. Additionally, he seeks to uncover the underlying mechanisms responsible for DNT's anti-cancer effects.
Research
Areas of Research
- Immunology
- Cancer
- Cancer immunotherapy
- Double-negative T cell
- CAR-T cell therapy
- Adoptive T cell therapy
- Off-the-shelf adoptive T cell therapy using CD3+ CD4- CD8- double negative T cell
The ability of immune cells to target cancer cells has revolutionized cancer treatments. Adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) directly utilizes immune cells to treat cancers as living drugs and offers promising treatment strategies for some patients with no alternative options. Dr. Jongbok Lee’s research focuses on developing novel ACT using a subset of immune cells called double-negative T cells (DNT). Dr. Lee completed his Ph.D. degree at the University of Toronto, focusing on understanding the safety and efficacy of allogeneic DNT therapy against AML and studying its potential to be used as an off-the-shelf therapy using preclinical models. Next, he continued his post-doctoral research at University Health Network to demonstrate the potential of combining DNT with Venetoclax (Bcl-2 inhibitor) and Azacytidine (hypomethylating drug) and with Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) technology and to elucidate mechanisms involved in DNT-AML interaction. Further, he was involved in the completion of a phase I clinical trial to demonstrate the feasibility, safety, and potential efficacy of allogeneic DNT therapy for AML patients who relapsed after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Dr. Lee aims to identify the underlying mechanisms involved in DNT-mediate anti-cancer activities to allow the development of more precise therapeutic approaches using DNTs. His research objective is to develop a novel ACT strategy using DNTs to positively impact patients’ lives.
Participation in university strategic initiatives
Publications
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