Michele De Palma

Michele De Palma is a tumor biologist who has made fundamental contributions to understanding how angiogenesis and myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment cooperate to create immune evasion. His laboratory identified Tie2-expressing monocytes (TEMs) as a pro-angiogenic myeloid cell population that promotes tumor vascularization and creates an immunosuppressive niche. De Palma has characterized how tumor-derived exosomes carry pro-angiogenic and immunosuppressive cargo that programs distant immune cells, establishing exosomes as mediators of systemic immune evasion. His work provides rationale for anti-angiogenic plus immune checkpoint combination strategies.