Posts by Shadmehr (Shawn) Demehri, MD, PhD
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Activating CD4+ T Cells at Benign Nevi Might Prevent Melanoma
Shadmehr Demehri, MD, PhD, Erik B. Schiferle, and colleagues determined benign nevi harbor CD4+ T cells that can be activated in situ to reject the nevus. If a novel therapy could block immunosuppressive regulatory T cells, CD4+ cells might prevent progression to melanoma in high-risk patients and enhance immunotherapy.
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T-cell Immunity Against Papillomaviruses Protects Against Skin Cancer
Shawn Demehri, MD, PhD, of the Center for Cancer Research and the Cutaneous Biology Research Center, and team discovered that commensal papillomaviruses cross protect against skin cancer in mice and human tissue—and further findings suggest T-cell–based vaccines may have a role in preventing squamous cell carcinoma.
Biography
Shawn Demehri, MD, PhD is a board-certified dermatologist and a Principal Investigator at the Center for Cancer Immunology and Cutaneous Biology Research Center of Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Demehri attended Washington State University, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in biology with honors. He received his medical (MD) and PhD degree in cell and molecular biology from Washington University in St. Louis. After completing his internship, Dr. Demehri completed a combined dermatology residency and postdoctoral fellowship in immunoloyg at Washington University, twice receiving research fellowship awards from the Dermatology Foundation and American Skin Association.
Dr. Demehri is a recipient of American Academy of Dermatology Young Investigator Award and Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award for Medical Scientists and NIH Director's Early Independence Award. He has numerous peer-reviewed publications in reputable journals and has presented his work at the Society for Investigative Dermatology, Tumor Immunology and Gordon Research Conferences. Dr. Demehri is a physician-scientist performing basic science and translational research in the area of cancer immunology related to melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers.
His research is focused on determining the role of the immune system in preventing the early stages of cancer development. Dr. Demehri’s clinical interests include cutaneous oncology with a focus on the detection and treatment of high-risk skin cancers, inflammatory skin diseases that predispose patients to skin cancer, skin cancer prevention and general dermatology.
For more information, please visit the Demehri Laboratory website.
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