Cellular Immunotherapy – Prof. John Haanen (CHUV) et Prof. Andrea Ablasser (EPFL)

Enhancing immune T-cell therapy with the innate immune response: Are two systems of immunity better than one?

TIL Programming via cGAMP for the Treatment of Melanoma

The programming and injection of lymphocytes to enhance immunotherapy against melanoma, is an innovative and effective way to destroy skin cancer cells, or melanoma. However, it does not always work. This project aims to enhance tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy by engineering the lymphocytes to secrete a molecule that activates a second, innate immune response, which is independent of a T-cell adaptive immune response.

This TANDEM project combines expertise in clinical TIL therapy (Prof. Haanen) and cGAS-STING pathway biology (Prof. Ablasser). Their study will be pursued using an ex-vivo system, called explants. Long-term persistence of the modified TIL cells will be critical for the therapeutic success which these outstanding applicants are aiming for.