Periodic Reporting for period 3 - ELIMINATE (Development of strategies to eliminate cancer cells from the bone marrow)
Berichtszeitraum: 2020-07-01 bis 2021-12-31
Hematologic and solid tumor cells abuse the BM as “safe haven” to survive anti-cancer treatments. Although these cells are of different tissue origin they use partially overlapping mechanisms to ensure their survival in the BM. The majority of existing literature refers to similar mechanisms between both malignant cell types regarding interaction with important cell populations implicated in bone remodelling. In contrast, we have very little knowledge whether solid and hematologic cancer cells differ in their interaction with immune cells in the BM. Gaining these insights is crucial for developing therapeutic approaches to enable the immune system to combat solid vs. hematologic cancer cells in the BM.
Very little knowledge exists about anti-cancer immune responses in the BM of cancer patients and the interaction between immune cells and immune-modulatory BM stroma cells. Furthermore a relevant knowledge gap is whether immune-checkpoint blockers can elicit anti-cancer immune responses in the BM. The challenge is to understand the specific immune microenvironment in the BM by integrating information from the hematology, oncology and basic research fields. Thus, this proposal aims to develop multidisciplinary bench-to-bedside and reverse approaches that will enable a comprehensive understanding of the immune microenvironment and novel strategies to harness the immune system to combat cancer in the BM will emerge.