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Contact Details

Phone
+64 3 470 7728
Email
alex.mclellan@otago.ac.nz
Position
Professor
Department
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Qualifications
MSc (Cant) PhD (Otago)
Research summary
Cancer immunobiology

Research

CAR T cells (Chimeric Antigen Receptor-modified T cells) against solid tumours. Cancer stem cell antigens, tumour-associated antigens, and tumour microenvironment metabolites. Cytokine and chemokine receptor strategies to improve T cell function against solid tumours.

Research projects

  • Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cells (CAR-T cells) and NK cells targeting solid tumours
  • Dual CAR constructs against B cell malignancies and solid tumours using bi-directional promoters
  • Sleeping Beauty and Retroviral vector constructs utilising drug and auto-inducible-promoters
  • Targeting the tumour microenvironment
  • Fighting the cytokine storm
  • Improved anti-cancer T cell migration using targeted cytokines

Publications

Hock, B. D., Goddard, L., Dobson, L. J., MacPherson, S. A., O'Donnell, J. L., McKenzie, J. L., & McLellan, A. D. (2025). Impact of rheumatoid factors on the function of therapeutic monoclonals specific for PD-1/PD-L1. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy, 74, 216. doi: 10.1007/s00262-025-04078-0 Journal - Research Article

Lam, P. Y., Omer, N., Wong, J. K. M., Tu, C., Alim, L., Rossi, G. R., … Dobson, L. J., McLellan, A. D., … Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes, F. (2025). Enhancement of anti-sarcoma immunity by NK cells engineered with mRNA for expression of a EphA2-targeted CAR. Clinical & Translational Medicine, 15, e70140. doi: 10.1002/ctm2.70140 Journal - Research Article

Saunderson, S. C., Halpin, J. C., Tan, G. M. Y., Shrivastava, P., & McLellan, A. D. (2024). Conversion of anti-tissue factor antibody sequences to chimeric antigen receptor and bi-specific T-cell engager format. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy, 73, 195. doi: 10.1007/s00262-024-03778-3 Journal - Research Article

Khaniya, A., Hosseini Rad, S. M. A., Halpin, J., Tawinwung, S., McLellan, A., Suppipat, K., & Hirankarn, N. (2024). Development of a compact bidirectional promoter-driven dual chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) construct targeting CD19 and CD20 in the Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon system. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, 12, e008555. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008555 Journal - Research Article

Rad S M, A. H., Wannigama, D. L., Hirankarn, N., & McLellan, A. D. (2023). The impact of non-synonymous mutations on miRNA binding sites within the SARS-CoV-2 NSP3 and NSP4 genes. Scientific Reports, 13, 16945. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-44219-y Journal - Research Article

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