The blood-brain barrier is a major impediment to the treatment of brain tumours because it prevents most anti-cancer drugs from entering the brain, and brain tumour, from the bloodstream. This proposal examines new approaches to open the blood-brain barrier to allow the use of existing highly potent anti-cancer drugs as brain cancer therapies. Successful outcomes of this work could lead to substantial improvements in the outcomes for brain tumour patients.
Harnessing Extracellular Matrix Remodelling By Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts To Increase T Cell Infiltration Of Solid Tumours
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$923,407.00
Summary
The ability of killer T cells to find and eliminate tumour cells is the basis for adoptive transfer immunotherapies, which thus far only work well with blood-borne cancers. There is limited success with solid tumours, which T cells do not readily infiltrate, notably because of remodelling by fibroblasts. We have discovered that T cells migrate in tunnels dug in the tumour matrix by fibroblasts. Here, we will harness this discovery to improve tumour infiltration and rejection of solid tumours.