Manipulating the Tumour Microenvironment to Optimise TIL therapy

TIL therapy is an exciting new cancer treatment in which tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) are extracted from a tumour, expanded ex vivo and reinfused back into the same patient. Manchester leads an extensive programme to develop TIL therapy and has ongoing clinical trials of TIL therapy including trials in ovarian cancer.

One of the potential regulators of TIL therapy is the tumour microenvironment, and specifically the innate immune system, elements of which are postulated to negatively regulate the interaction between T cell and tumour cell.

In this project the student will utilise the expertise and resources of the multidisciplinary supervisory team to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the role of the innate immune system in a project with three distinct but overlapping aims:

1. To examine the immune landscape in omental biopsies of high grade serous ovarian cancer.
2. To investigate the interaction between innate immune cells, T cells, and autologous tumour using ex vivo cell culture models
3. To investigate if the effects of the innate immune system can be mitigated using a novel chimeric antigen folate receptor alpha (CoStAR)

Taken together these objectives will provide an intellectual challenge but will provide knowledge which is important in the challenge of optimising and personalising therapy for patients with cancer.