T-cells: The Key To Unlocking Immunity Against Aggressive Lymphoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$322,951.00
Summary
By investigating several aspects of patients’ immune defenses against the cancer cells in Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, this project will provide critical insights on ways to harness the patient’s own immune system to effectively mount anti-tumour responses. These results will pave the way for future therapeutic strategies to successfully treat and prevent lymphoma.
Tumour Antigen Cross-presentation: Efficiency, Biology And Role Of Inhibitory B7 Homologue Molecules
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$469,500.00
Summary
It is now known that the body s immune system often attempts to attack cancers but this response is generally fairly weak. It was previously thought that one of the main reasons for this failure was that the immune system was ignorant of the presence of the cancer until too late. Our recent work over the past few years has shown that this is not the case. A process called cross-presentation seems to efficiently and continuously expose the cancer to the body s anti-cancer killer T-cells. This gra ....It is now known that the body s immune system often attempts to attack cancers but this response is generally fairly weak. It was previously thought that one of the main reasons for this failure was that the immune system was ignorant of the presence of the cancer until too late. Our recent work over the past few years has shown that this is not the case. A process called cross-presentation seems to efficiently and continuously expose the cancer to the body s anti-cancer killer T-cells. This grant will work out exactly how efficient that process is, which cells are responsible and some aspects of how it happens. We will also study whether some recently-discovered braking molecules, which slow down immune responses and which could be 'applying the brakes' to anti-cancer responses. This could lead to new approaches to therapy eg by removing these brakes during vaccination therapy.Read moreRead less
Analysis Of Antigen Processing In Melanoma Cells, Its Influence On The Success Of Cancer Vaccination And Enhancement In A Combined-immunotherapy Xenograft Model Of Melanoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$297,891.00
Summary
Cancer vaccines, an exciting new treatment option that aims to boost a patientÍs own immune system to fight a growing cancer, have shown great promise in developmental studies. Although these vaccines generate strong anti-cancer responses in the blood of treated patients, less than expected results have been observed in terms of increased patient survival. This project aims to understand how the cancer escapes recognition by the immune system and ways to enhance the effects of cancer vaccines.