Vanja Sisirak, PhD, CLIP Investigator University of Bordeaux (France) Area of Research: All Cancers At the core of every cancer are DNA mutations that fuel the abnormal behavior of tumors. However, this abnormal DNA can also alert the immune system and trigger it to launch a response against tumors by stimulating the production of inflammatory molecules. This inflammation is essential for the activation of tumor-killing cells and can increase the effectiveness of current checkpoint immunotherapies. However, some molecules can block this inflammation. One such protein identified by Dr. Sisirak is able to degrade the DNA from dying tumor cells and thereby block the capacity of the DNA to stimulate immune responses. Given that the activity of this protein may help cancers to escape the immune system, Dr. Sisirak now aims to further characterize its function and mechanisms. Ideally, this will then provide a better understanding of the regulation of immune responses induced by tumor-derived DNA and contribute to the development of novel therapeutic approaches to boost anti-cancer immune responses as well as enhance the effectiveness of current immunotherapies. Projects and Grants In vivo study of mechanisms that regulate tumor-derived DNA immunogenicity during the process of cancer immunosurveillance University of Bordeaux (France) | All Cancers | 2019
