Tumor Microenvironment, Immune Response, and Angiogenesis

The tumor microenvironment subverts the function of immune cells, thus using the same cells in charge of rejecting the tumor to promote its growth. A central issue in tumor immunology is to identify the decisive factors that determine the immunosuppressive status of tumor-associated antigen-presenting cells. Novel mechanistic insights into the processes of antigen-presenting cell differentiation and activation are likely to have potential impact also in the field of tumor immunology and immunotherapy. Fabian Benencia, assistant professor of biomedical sciences, and Kelly McCall, assistant professor of specialty medicine, investigate the effect of the tumor micorenvironment on immune cells and their participation in neoangiogenesis. They seek to apply this knowledge to develop novel therapies and vaccines for cancer.