Kevin Wei

Description of Research: 

My laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital focuses on deciphering the role of stromal cells in inflammatory and fibrotic diseases.  Our approach integrates single-cell transcriptomics, spatial transcriptomics, and patient-derived organoids to define key stromal cell pathways relevant to chronic inflammatory diseases. 

Project 1. Fibroblast pathology in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Fibroblasts are joint mesenchymal cells that perpetuate chronic inflammation and degrade joint tissues.  A therapeutic approach that specifically targets fibroblasts holds the promise of preventing joint tissue damage while minimizing unwanted side effects of immune suppression.  However, a major challenge in therapy targeting fibroblasts is the lack of knowledge regarding their functional diversity. I played a significant role in defining stromal cell subtypes in joint synovial tissues. I am the senior author of a study that characterizes the molecular basis of fibroblasts driving treatment failure in RA (Bhamidipati and McIntyre et al., accepted in Nature Immunology).  Together, these studies provide a new paradigm in understanding fibroblast biology and uncover novel stromal cell targets for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.   

Project 2. Spatial reconstruction of inflammatory diseases. Using a “disease reconstruction” approach, our laboratory employs cutting-edge spatial transcriptomic technologies to deconvolute tissue pathology in chronic inflammatory diseases, aiming to identify new pathologic pathways that may be targeted therapeutically. As a member of the NIH Accelerating Medicines Partnership Autoimmune and Immune-Mediated Disease (AMP-AIM), I spearheaded studies using spatial transcriptomics to define cellular networks in inflammatory diseases. These studies contribute to a new understanding of cellular organization in organ tissue affected by chronic inflammatory disease.