Speaker: Dr. Jami Erickson, senior scientist at AbbVie and former postdoctoral research fellow at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Title: Multi-omic single-cell analysis uncovers tumor-unique immune programs distinct from inflamed tissue phenotypes

Abstract: Immunotherapies to treat cancer have achieved remarkable successes, but major challenges persist. An inherent weakness of current treatment approaches is that the targeted immune subsets are not exclusive to tumors. In an effort to identify tumor-unique immunotherapeutic targets that are distinct from general inflammatory processes, we used complementary single-cell analysis approaches to compare the immune landscape in human tumors and non-malignant, inflamed tissues. We found that the immune infiltrate in inflamed tissues showed substantial congruence with the tumor. However, computational and machine learning analyses of multi-omic single-cell data allowed identification of tumor-unique subsets and predicted interactions of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Subsequent experimental validation confirmed an intratumoral IL-1 network. Intratumoral Tregs were uniquely identified by ICOS and IL-1R1 cell surface expression, thus allowing for tumor-specific depletion.

Meeting link: https://iastate.webex.com/iastate/j.php?MTID=m1b1629afc82e9902a63cc1d469fef3cb

March 22, 2021, GDCB Promising Scientist Research Series flyer (Dr. Jami Erickson)