Paulo Bhatt

Paulo Bhatt investigates how reactive oxygen species in the tumor microenvironment suppress anti-tumor T cell function, demonstrating that tumor-associated myeloid cells produce excessive ROS that inhibit T cell receptor signaling, induce T cell apoptosis, and promote regulatory T cell differentiation. His research has shown that engineering T cells with enhanced antioxidant capacity through overexpression of catalase or thioredoxin improves their persistence and cytotoxicity in oxidative tumor microenvironments. He has characterized synergistic combinations of ROS-modulating agents with checkpoint immunotherapy. His work connects redox biology with the emerging field of T cell metabolism in cancer immunotherapy.