The tumour immune microenvironment (TIME) plays a critical role in the evolution and progression of cancer. TIME is a highly complex and heterogeneous system that encompasses cells of the immune system and their interactions with the tumour microenvironment. The balance of suppressive versus cytotoxic responses in the tumour microenvironment is balanced by TIME and this can influence disease outcome, with high levels of T cell infiltration associated with better survival in patients. In this series, we explore the impact of TIME on response to cancer treatment and how certain treatments can alter the composition of the TIME and be used in combination with immunotherapy to improve patient outcome.
Join us on 30th November at 10am GMT for the first episode in this three-part series with Dr Florent Petitprez, University of Edinburgh.
Programme:
- Dr Florent Petitprez, University of Edinburgh, 30th November 10am GMT, B cells, tertiary lymphoid structures, and response to cancer immunotherapy
- Dr Eleanor Cheadle, University of Manchester, 7th December 10am GMT, Investigating how radiotherapy affects the tumour immune microenvironment
- Dr Aideen Ryan, University of Galway, 14th December 10am GMT, Stromal cells and immunosuppression in the tumour microenvironment
Episode summary:
In recent decades, immunotherapies have revolutionised the treatment of cancer. However, only a minority of cancer patients respond to these therapies, and biomarkers to predict response are still scarce. To better understand this, we need to study the tumour microenvironment, a complex interconnected system that encompasses not only malignant cancer cells but also virtually any type of immune cell, as well as fibroblasts and blood vessels. Many studies show that the composition of the tumour microenvironment strongly associates with patients' survival and response to different therapies. The tumour microenvironment of some tumours can harbour lymphoid cell aggregates called tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). These are lymph node-like groups of cells that can act as a site of activation and maturation of a potent anti-tumour immune response. During this event, we will discuss how TLS and tumour-infiltrating B cells can be biomarkers for patient survival and response to immunotherapy in soft-tissue sarcoma and other solid tumours. We will also explain one of the mechanisms by which TLS favour anti-tumour immunity in kidney cancer by propagating anti-tumour plasma cells.
Relevant Publications:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1906-8
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1074761322000814
10:00 am - 11:00 am GMT+0
Dr Florent Petitprez
Florent Petitprez is a computational biologist interested in the tumour microenvironment of solid tumours. He obtained a PhD in immunology under the supervision of Professor Wolf Fridman at the Cordeliers Research Centre in Paris. His main work during his PhD demonstrated that B cells and Tertiary Lymphoid Structures were associated with response to immunotherapy in soft-tissue sarcoma. He is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, working with Professor Jeffrey Pollard on the phenotype and clinical impact of tumour-associated macrophages using spatial transcriptomic approaches. He recently obtained a Wellcome Trust Early Career Award to pursue his work on macrophages and tertiary lymphoid structures in cancer.
DOI: X5t8BZO5q3MGzVmOcWVQ_prepost_1
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