Adoptive Cellular Therapy
"Using gene modification techniques, we are regulating intracellular immune checkpoints that are key to T cell function and differentiation with the aim of improving the therapeutic efficacy of adoptive cell transfer".
DR. SANDRA HERVÁS STUBBS RESEARCHER. ADOPTIVE CELLULAR THERAPY RESEARCH GROUP
The Immunology Research Group in Adoptive Cell Therapy at Cima focuses on the study of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) to develop new effective strategies for cancer treatment.
CTLs play a critical role in tumor killing, but tumors have evolved a number of inhibitory mechanisms (known as immune-checkpoints) that allow them to escape CTLs. Using antibodies, it is easy to block inhibitory molecules present in cell membranes (PD1, PDL-1, CTLA4,...). However, there are also intracellular immune-checkpoints, whose blocking is still a challenge and which could be regulated by genetic modification.
Our group has been studying for several years the mechanisms that regulate CTLs responses with the aim of developing effective strategies for cancer treatment. Our line of research is focused on improving the efficacy of adoptive cell transfer (ACT) of tumor infiltrating T lymphocytes (TILs). ACT-TIL consists of treating the patient with T-lymphocytes isolated from their own tumor.
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Objectives of the Adoptive Cell Therapy Research Group
We seek to enhance immunotherapy treatments through cross-cutting research
Study of the effect of the regulation of key transcription factors for the activation/differentiation of CTLs on the antitumor efficacy of ACT-TIL.
Identification of biomarkers for the selection of tumor-specific TILs.
Develop new antitumor strategies such as blocking intracellular immune-checkpoints by genetic modification of TILs.
TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH
Personalized cancer treatment
Our group has identified specific tumor characteristics in ovarian cancer that allow the selection of suitable candidates for cell therapy with TILs.
This multidisciplinary study opens the door to personalized treatment of patients with this disease.
Meet the research team
Scientific activity of the
Adoptive Cell Therapy Research Group
Latest scientific publications
- Neoantigens as potential vaccines in hepatocellular carcinoma Feb 24, 2022 | Magazine: Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer
- The mutational load and a T-cell inflamed tumour phenotype identify ovarian cancer patients rendering tumour-reactive T cells from PD-1+ tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes Mar 1, 2021 | Magazine: British Journal of Cancer
- Bivalent therapeutic vaccine against HPV16/18 genotypes consisting of a fusion protein between the extra domain A from human fibronectin and HPV16/18 E7 viral antigens Jun 1, 2020 | Magazine: Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer
- Engineering bionic T cells: signal 1, signal 2, signal 3, reprogramming and the removal of inhibitory mechanisms Jun 1, 2020 | Magazine: Cellular & Molecular Immunology