Role of inflammatory cell death mediators in the modulation anti-tumor immune response by listeria monocytogenes

• Grant number: 21/07624-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: December 01, 2021
• End date: August 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: João Gustavo Pessini Amarante Mendes
• Grantee: Andrew Victor Diniz Sardinha
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) recognize and eliminate abnormal cells, such as infected and tumor cells. Like other cells in the immune system, the presence of CTLs in the tumor infiltrate is a sign of an ongoing immune response. Nevertheless, to escape the immune response, cancer cells acquire a series of mechanisms of evasion and resistance to cell death. Different species of intracellular bacteria can be genetically engineered to deliver various types of antigens, particularly tumor antigens. Therefore, the use of these bacteria in cancer therapies has become an important tool in boosting an effective response against tumors. Apparently, the way the immune system handles a particular infection would have an impact on the quality of the desired antigen-specific immune response. The objective of this project is to study the potential antitumoral response to recombinant infectious bacteria in the context of deficiencies in the inflammatory cell death machinery. We will use ovalbumin-expressing Listeria as infectious vector to induce OVA-specific CD8 T cell responses and test their ability to eliminate B16.OVA melanoma cell line in wild-type and deficient mice. (AU)