Descripción del proyecto
Activación de los neutrófilos contra el cáncer
La activación del sistema inmunitario para luchar contra el cáncer constituye un enfoque prometedor, si bien hasta el momento su eficacia clínica ha sido limitada. Los esfuerzos actuales en cuanto a la inmunoterapia se centran principalmente en los linfocitos T. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos CINPinCB propone utilizar los neutrófilos como una diana terapéutica celular alternativa debido a su abundancia en el microentorno tumoral. Para investigar la complejidad y la heterogeneidad de los neutrófilos asociados a tumores, los investigadores proponen desarrollar progenitores de neutrófilos inmortalizados condicionalmente como fuente celular para los estudios experimentales. El objetivo es descifrar los mecanismos que controlan las funciones de estas células y generar dianas nuevas para la inmunoterapia.
Objetivo
Immunotherapies are revolutionizing cancer care, but are only effective in a minority of patients. Because current treatments typically target T lymphocytes, manipulating other cell types will create additional therapeutic opportunities. This research project aims to study neutrophils, because they can be abundant in the tumor environment, can modulate tumor outgrowth and response to treatments, and are candidate new therapeutic targets. However, tumor-associated neutrophils can be phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous, with only some of them promoting tumor growth. At present, we have a limited understanding of the complexity of neutrophils in tumors, and the mechanisms that control the functions of these cells. This is largely due to the inherent experimental limitations of neutrophil studies. Here, we will use a new approach to test the hypotheses that so-called Conditionally-Immortalized Neutrophil Progenitors (CINP) can be: 1) used to produce unrestricted numbers of tumor-associated neutrophils in vivo, and 2) gene-edited to study neutrophils mechanistically during cancer progression. Addressing these questions bears scientific and therapeutic importance, as it will not only deepen our fundamental understanding of the mechanisms regulating neutrophil activities in cancer, but also indicate new molecular targets for therapy. With this study, I will also create and share a publicly available database of all newly identified targets that will be investigated by us, other academic research groups, and industry. Besides, the project’s outputs will be communicated to the broader general public. Altogether, the training and input I will receive during the Marie Curie Individual Fellowship will prepare my transition from post-doc to independent researcher in an excellent scientific environment in Europe.
Ámbito científico
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MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
1211 Geneve
Suiza