Elmira Safaie Qamsari

2025 PHA Canada Paroian Family PH Research Scholarship

Sinclair Centre for Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa hospital research institute (OHRI), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario  

Under the supervision of Dr. Duncan Stewart

About Elmira Safaie Qamsari

She began her PhD journey in Dr. Duncan Stewart’s lab at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in 2022, where she has been focusing on the study of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Her research initially explored the role of endothelial senescent cells in the progression of PAH. Through this work, she developed a strong passion for the PAH field, which inspired her to investigate immunotherapeutic approaches using natural killer T (NKT) cells and chimeric antigen receptor–engineered natural killer (CAR-NK) cells to prevent and reverse the disease. With a Master’s degree in Medical Immunology, she aims to leverage her immunology background to harness immune cells in developing novel therapies for PAH.

Project:

Targeting Cancer-Like Endothelial Cell Growth in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Using CAR-NK Cell Immunotherapy

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is a serious and life-threatening disease in which the lung arteries become thickened and narrowed. This makes it harder for blood to flow, raising blood pressure in the lungs, and forcing the right heart to work much harder. Unfortunately, despite current treatments, there is still no cure, and survival remains worse than for many cancers. We have identified a disease-causing molecule, called TM4SF1, which is on the surface cancer-like cells that form the inner lining of blood vessels. These TM4SF1-positive cells grow in an uncontrolled fashion leading to the blockage small lung arteries. This discovery opens the door to two new ways to fight PAH. First, we will engineer immune cells called natural killer (NK) cells to have an artificial (chimeric antigen) receptor (CAR) targeting TM4SF1-positive, cancer like blood vessel cells. CAR-NK cells will home to, and destroy, these abnormal blood vessel cells that drive the disease. Second, we will use powerful gene-editing technology to remove TM4SF1 from these abnormal cells, thus restoring normal control of blood vessel cell growth. Unlike today’s treatments, which mostly only manage symptoms, these approaches could actually change the course of PAH and give patients new hope for a healthier future.