Neo-antigen landscape of immunocompetent and immunosuppressed cSCC
We propose to investigate a type of skin cancer, known as cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (or cSCC). This cancer type is typically caused by exposure to sunlight and is more common in patients who take immunosuppressing medication, such as organ transplant recipients. DNA contains all our genes that allow the cells to function. The sun damages DNA in our skin cells, causing lots of alterations to many genes, which can lead to cells growing out of control and the subsequent formation of cancer. Due to sun damage, cSCC has a large number of genetic alterations, known as mutations, that makes it a difficult cancer to study. Management of these patients is challenging; no effective treatment outside of surgery and radiotherapy exist for advanced disease and as a result development of novel targeted therapies is a priority. The immune system is designed to reject cells that may be harmful to us, including cancer cells. Unfortunately, cancerous cells find ways to hide from our immune systems. We want to investigate ways to harness the power of the immune system to reject tumours, by producing potential immunotherapies. To do so, we will explore immune markers on cancer cells, and compare patients who are immunosuppressed and those who are not. Such research will deepen our understanding of cSCC and bring us closer to designing new therapy.
We propose to investigate a type of skin cancer, known as cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (or cSCC). This cancer type is typically caused by exposure to sunlight and is more common in patients who take immunosuppressing medication, such as organ transplant recipients. DNA contains all our genes that allow the cells to function. The sun damages DNA in our skin cells, causing lots of alterations to many genes, which can lead to cells growing out of control and the subsequent formation of cancer. Due to sun damage, cSCC has a large number of genetic alterations, known as mutations, that makes it a difficult cancer to study. Management of these patients is challenging; no effective treatment outside of surgery and radiotherapy exist for advanced disease and as a result development of novel targeted therapies is a priority. The immune system is designed to reject cells that may be harmful to us, including cancer cells. Unfortunately, cancerous cells find ways to hide from our immune systems. We want to investigate ways to harness the power of the immune system to reject tumours, by producing potential immunotherapies. To do so, we will explore immune markers on cancer cells, and compare patients who are immunosuppressed and those who are not. Such research will deepen our understanding of cSCC and bring us closer to designing new therapy.
