Research Lab Overview

Christiane Querfeld, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician-scientist and founding director of the cutaneous lymphoma program, who seeks better treatment options for cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL), a rare form of lymphoma that first appears on the skin, but can also spread to lymph nodes and internal organs. City of Hope is one of the few institutions in the country that offers clinical trials to treat cutaneous lymphomas. Dr. Querfeld leads a multidisciplinary team of experts, including medical and radiation oncologists, pioneering treatments for CTCL and its subtypes.

Learn more about Dr. Querfeld's research

Principal Investigator: Christiane Querfeld, M.D., Ph.D.

Christiane Querfeld, M.D., Ph.D., is a professor in dermatology and dermatopathology, and a member of Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope.

She is director of City of Hope's multidisciplinary Cutaneous Lymphoma Program at the Toni Stevenson Lymphoma Center.

Full bio

Lab Members

Zhen Han, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Research Professor

Zhen Han, M.D., Ph.D., is an assistant research professor in the research group of Christiane Querfeld, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Han received her M.D. degree in clinical medicine, and Ph.D. degree in cell biology in 2006 and 2013 in China, respectively. From 2013 to 2015, Dr. Han was appointed as an assistant professor in the Biomedical Information Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital of Capital Medical University in Beijing, China. Since 2015, Dr. Han worked as a postdoctoral fellow with Joost J. Oppenheim, M.D., in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism in the Center for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute to study the roles of high mobility group (HMG) box 1 protein (HMGB1), antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in the host innate and adaptive immunity to cancer, which can potentially be used as immunoadjuvants in tumor vaccines. Dr. Han received the Fellows Award for Research Excellence 2018 competition at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Han moved to City of Hope in 2018, investigated the immune check point inhibitors-based tumor immunotherapy in both innate and adaptive immunity, and the underlying resistance mechanisms. Dr. Han joined Dr. Querfeld’s group in 2020 to investigate the immune biology of the microenvironment in cutaneous T cell lymphoma and identify novel targets that will lead to novel immunotherapy.

Ching-Yu Su

Research Associate

Ching-Yu Su serves City of Hope as a research associate II. In this role, he is actively involved in cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) clinical research. His work includes identifying the critical factor for causing CTCL and assists in developing the treatment for this rare type of cancer. Ching earned his bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from Tzu Chi University and his master’s in biotechnology from the California State University San Marcos.

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Partnerships

Who We Partner With

These organizations are invaluable partners in our work toward progressing the development of new treatments in our specialized areas of research.

NIH-NCI

Leukemia Lymphoma Society

Israel Cancer Research Fund

Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center

Stop Cancer

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Our Publications

Intralesional delivery of TTI 621, a novel biologic targeting the innate immune checkpoint CD47, in patients with relapsed or refractory mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome, Lancet Haematol 8(11): 808-817, 2021

Querfeld, C., Thompson, J.A., Taylor, M.A., DeSimone, J.A., Zain, J.M., Shustov, A.R., Johns, C., McCann, S., Lin, G.H.Y., Uger, R.A., Molley, N., Shou Y., & Akilov, O.E.

Identification of miRNA regulatory network and the tumor microenvironment gene profile in large cell transformation of mycosis fungoides. Cancers (epub ahead), 2021

Di Raimondo, C., Han, Z., Su, C., Wu, X., Qin, H., Sanchez, J.F., Yuan, Y.C., Martinez, X., Abdulla, F., Zain, J., Rosen, S.T., & Querfeld, C.

Mogamulizu-mab efficacy is underscored by its associated rash that mimics cutaneous T cell lymphoma: a retrospective single-center case series. Brit J Dermatol (epub ahead), 2021

Trum, N.A., Zain, J., Parekh, V., Afkhami, M., Abdulla, F., Carson, K.R., Rosen, S.T., Bennett, C.L., & Querfeld, C.

miRNA regulation of T cell exhaustion in cutaneous T cell lymphoma. J Invest Dermatol (epub ahead), 2021

Han, Z., Estephan, R.J., Wu, X., Su, C., Yuan, Y.C., Qin, H., Kil, S.H., Morales, C., Schmolze, D., Sanchez, J.F., Tian, L., Yu, J., Kortylewski, M., Rosen, S.T., & Querfeld, C.

Post hoc analysis of a randomized, controlled, Phase 2 study to assess response rates with chlormethine/mechlorethamine gel in Patients with stage IA-IIA mycosis fungoides. Dermatology (epub ahead), 2021

Querfeld, C., Scarisbrick, J.J., Assaf, C., Guenova, E., Bagot, M., Ortiz-Romero, P.L., Quaglino, P., Bonizzoni, E., & Hodak, E.