Project description
Tumour endothelial cells and immunosuppression
Immune checkpoint inhibitors are the up-and-coming anti-cancer immunotherapy, however, a large fraction of cancer patients exhibit resistance to this type of treatment. Tumours stimulate angiogenesis to ensure their supply of nutrients, but not enough is known about how tumour endothelial cells (TECs) contribute to immunosuppression. TECs are presumed to be immunosuppressive, in part by expressing elevated levels of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) transmembrane protein, which plays a major role in suppressing the adaptive immune system. The EU-funded TESTIMONY project will assess the efficacy of anti-PD-L1 blockade in mice lacking PD-L1 in TECs in different stages of tumour growth. In addition, the researchers will study the effect of PD-L1 knock-down in human lung TECs on human T cell proliferation, effector function and transmigration.
Objective
Immunotherapy, in the form of immune checkpoint inhibitors, is the upcoming anti-cancer therapy, but suffers resistance in large fractions of cancer patients (also lung cancer). Tumors stimulate angiogenesis to ensure their supply of nutrients, however much less studied is how tumor endothelial cells (TECs) contribute to immunosuppression. Endothelial cells (ECs) represent a major non-hematopoietic component of immunity and TECs are presumed to be immunosuppressive, in part by expressing elevated levels of PD-L1. However, the role and dynamics of TEC-expressed PD-L1 in anti-tumor immunity relative to the cancer expressed PD-L1 remain incompletely understood.
Given the strategic “1st line” location of TECs, the question raises if at least part of the success of PD-L1 inhibition, is attributable to an effect on TEC immunity. Therefore, for the 1st time, I will fill this gap of knowledge by characterizing mice lacking PD-L1 in ECs and assess tumor progression and anti-tumor immunity in these mice using different tumor models. I will assess the efficacy of anti-PD-L1 blockade in mice lacking PD-L1 in ECs in different stages of tumor growth to delineate the dynamics of PD-L1 expression in TECs. Moreover, by using established in vitro approaches, I will study the effect of PD-L1 knock-down in human lung tumor derived TECs vs. normal ECs on human T cell proliferation, effector function and transmigration. The proposed research provides unprecedented insights in the relative role of tumor endothelial vs. cancer cell-derived PD-L1 in immunosuppression.
This is a multi-disciplinary project at the interface of angiogenesis, immunology and cancer. Combining my expertise on T cell biology with the host’s expertise in angiogenesis and exceptional scientific infrastructure (core facilities) and innovative science (EC:T cell interactions during immunotherapy) will ensure successful achievement of the project goals and provide a highly competitive training for my future career.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology lung cancer
- natural sciences biological sciences cell biology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology immunotherapy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
9052 ZWIJNAARDE - GENT
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.