Enhancing Immunotherapy by Targeting the Cancer Stem Cell Niche
Immunotherapy is the new promise in effectively combating cancer. It has proven to be effective in solid tumors of an inflamed phenotype but still faces challenges, especially in tumor lesions that are less invaded by immune cells. Cancer stem/initiating cells (CSCs) are defined as tumor cells that have the principal properties of self-renewal, clonal tumor initiation capacity, and clonal long-term repopulation potential. CSCs reside in niches, which may be anatomically distinct regions within the tumor microenvironment. These niches maintain the principle properties of CSCs, preserve their phenotypic plasticity, protect them from the immune system, and facilitate their metastatic potential. According to the CSC paradigm, only complete eradication of these CSCs will prevent cancer from recurring. By combining methods of mouse genetics, 3D primary organotypic cultures, biomedical live imaging and high throughput analyses on the single cell level, my research aims at understanding how immune cells and cancer stem cells interact within the niche during breast cancer evolution and metastasis. Subsequently, my team will explore ways by which engineering the CSC niche will render it more susceptible to immunotherapy.
Date: 30 September 2016, 11:00 (Friday, -1st week, Michaelmas 2016)
Venue: NDM Building, Headington OX3 7FZ
Venue Details: Seminar Room
Speaker: Dr Vicki Plaks (University of California San Francisco)
Organising department: Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Oxford Branch
Organiser: Christina Woodward (Oxford Ludwig Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address: christina.woodward@ludwig.ox.ac.uk
Host: Prof Xin Lu (Ludwig Cancer Research, Oxford Branch)
Part of: Ludwig Institute Seminar Series
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Christina Woodward