Tumour Immunology

We are pursuing several different lines of investigation with the common goal of improving treatment strategies for cancer. The ability of cancer cells to avoid destruction by the immune system means that as yet there is no effective treatment. We know that in several different types of cancer there are increased numbers of cells called myeloid suppressor cells (MDSC) that suppress the immune system, and therefore allow cancer cells to continue to grow and divide. We also know that another kind of immune cells - invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells –monitor malignant cells and decrease the numbers of circulating MDSCs in melanoma patients, thus restoring the immune response to cancer cells. These iNKT cells are very important because they form a “bridge” between the part of the immune system that recognises foreign proteins and the part that destroys abnormal cells. By studying the behaviour of iNKT cells we aim to find ways of increasing their activity in a controlled way, and use them to “jump-start” immune responses to tumour cells. Our clinical trial program is presently translating preclinical findings into phase I and II clinical trials of cancer vaccine candidates.