Investigation into novel immunotherapeutics which target the development of tumour associated macrophages in cancer

The proposed project will utilise spontaneous in vivo models of breast cancer and a novel transgenic model that has recently been developed by the laboratory. These models will be used alongside transcriptomic analyses, gene knockdown studies, and known drug screens, to gain biological insight into the key signals which direct the pro-tumoural phenotype of tumour associated macrophages (TAMs). Once the targets of interest have been identified they will be investigated in detail for their role in macrophage differentiation and function. Using our in vivo models, we will use intravital microscopy to track the TAMs recruitment and differentiation in real-time. The findings will be preclinically validated in human breast cancer, as well as other tumours, using in vitro macrophage culture, tumour sections and online patient survival and expression databases.