Prof. Wei Li leads the Center for Antibody Therapeutics at Pitt, focusing on developing innovative antibody-based therapies. His research emphasizes identifying and engineering monoclonal antibody (mAb) based therapeutics including antibody drug conjugates (ADC), radioimmunoconjugates (RIC), bispecific antibodies (BiAbs), immune cell engagers (NKCE/TCE) and chimeric antigen receptors (CAR), used as viable treatments targeting cancer, HIV, and aging-related diseases. Notably, the lab develops potent anti-HIV chimeric molecules aimed at curing HIV infection and evaluates mAbs in combination therapies for various cancers. A long-term goal includes creating antibodies to delay aging and extend healthy lifespans. Collaborations with global institutions and industries drive the lab’s cutting-edge advancements in antibody science and therapeutic applications.
"Fc-Engineering Improves PET Imaging of Anti-Mesothelin VH-Fc across Multiple Tumor Mouse Models and Reveals Sex-Specific Renal Clearance"
Bhise A, Chu X, Josefsson A, Cortez AG, Diehl G, Rigatti LH, Park HJ, Nedrow JR, Li W. Bioconjug Chem. 2026, 37, 1, 192-202.
"Discovery and pre-clinical evaluation of antibodies to the NKG2A inhibitory receptor"
Seungmin Shin1,*, Yae-Jin Kim1,2,*, Bernard JC Macatangay1, Joshua C. Cyktor1, Margaret G. Hines1, Ze-yu Sun1, Kong Chen3, John W. Mellors1,2,, Dimiter S. Dimitrov1,2,, and Wei Li1,† and Du-San Baek†. (†, Co-senior). Sci. Adv. 2026 (in press)
"ProstaNet: A Novel Geometric Vector Perceptrons–Graph Neural Network Algorithm for Protein Stability Prediction in Single- and Multiple-Point Mutations with Experimental Validation"
Liang T, Sun ZY, Ishima R, Xie XQ, Xue Y, Li W, Feng Z. Research (Wash D C). 2025, 8, 0674
"Development of Fully Human Antibodies Targeting SIRPα and PLA2G7 for Cancer Therapy"
Shin S, Baek DS, Mellors JW, Dimitrov DS, Li W. Antibodies (Basel.). 2025, 14, 1, 21
"Discovery of a novel highly specific, fully human PSCA antibody and its application as an antibody-drug conjugate in prostate cancer."
Chu X, Shin S, Baek DS, Zhang L, Conard A, Shi M, Kim YJ, Adams C, Hines M, Liu X, Chen C, Sun Z, Jelev DV, Mellors JW, Dimitrov DS, Li W. 2024, 16, 1, 2387240