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Fighting cancer with blood cells
Iosifina Foskolou
(Group Leader at Sanquin)
About the speaker: Iosifina is a Marie Curie and Joghem van Loghem Fellow. She completed her PhD in Oncology at the University of Oxford (UK), where she studied the effects of low oxygen in solid tumours. She then moved to the University of Cambridge (UK), where she investigated how metabolism can improve cancer immunotherapy. Iosifina has received multiple grants in the UK, Sweden and Netherlands. Her lab at Sanquin focuses on improving immune therapies against solid tumours by better understanding the environment immune cells face both in tumours and in other healthy organs.
About the talk: Immunotherapy is an innovative cancer treatment that empowers the body's own immune system to identify, target, and destroy cancer cells. This approach holds great promise for targeting various types of cancer. This talk will focus on CAR-T cell immunotherapy, a cutting-edge technique. Here's how it works: T cells, a type of white blood cell, are extracted from the patient's bloodstream and then genetically modified in the laboratory. Once modified, these "supercharged" T cells are reintroduced into the patient's body, where they can effectively seek out and eliminate cancerous cells. However, a significant challenge lies in the fact that these engineered cells often have a short lifespan after being administered. We'll explore how we can prolong the viability of CAR-T cells and increase their effectiveness. Enhancing CAR-T cell longevity could be a key factor to improving cancer patient survival.
About the talk: Immunotherapy is an innovative cancer treatment that empowers the body's own immune system to identify, target, and destroy cancer cells. This approach holds great promise for targeting various types of cancer. This talk will focus on CAR-T cell immunotherapy, a cutting-edge technique. Here's how it works: T cells, a type of white blood cell, are extracted from the patient's bloodstream and then genetically modified in the laboratory. Once modified, these "supercharged" T cells are reintroduced into the patient's body, where they can effectively seek out and eliminate cancerous cells. However, a significant challenge lies in the fact that these engineered cells often have a short lifespan after being administered. We'll explore how we can prolong the viability of CAR-T cells and increase their effectiveness. Enhancing CAR-T cell longevity could be a key factor to improving cancer patient survival.
Does our immune system try to kill us sometimes? Balancing immune responses in health and disease.
Brenda Raud
(Postdoc at Sanquin)
About the speaker: Brenda studied Biotechnology in Argentina, and later earned her PhD in Immunology from Hannover Medical School in Germany. During her doctorate, she characterized the behaviour of immune cells response in health and disease. Brenda's research interests include the regulation of immune system, how it specializes against specific agents and how to genetically tweak it.
About the talk: Most of us are aware that the immune system is our powerful ally against disease and cancer. However, sometimes it can turn on the body: autoimmune diseases such as lupus or multiple sclerosis, as well as transplant rejections, are the result of a dysregulated immune response. In this talk, we'll explore the delicate balance that keeps our immune system in check, ensuring it doesn't overreact or underperform. We'll shine a spotlight on the heroes of immune regulation: regulatory T cells, which play a crucial role in preventing our immune system from turning against our own tissues. What to do if this immune balance does go awry and we are attacked by our own immune cells? We'll discuss how different therapies can be used to fine-tune the immune response, and the prospect of genetic engineering offering hope for those grappling with autoimmune conditions. Join us for an enlightening exploration of the immune system and its potential to heal and protect.
About the talk: Most of us are aware that the immune system is our powerful ally against disease and cancer. However, sometimes it can turn on the body: autoimmune diseases such as lupus or multiple sclerosis, as well as transplant rejections, are the result of a dysregulated immune response. In this talk, we'll explore the delicate balance that keeps our immune system in check, ensuring it doesn't overreact or underperform. We'll shine a spotlight on the heroes of immune regulation: regulatory T cells, which play a crucial role in preventing our immune system from turning against our own tissues. What to do if this immune balance does go awry and we are attacked by our own immune cells? We'll discuss how different therapies can be used to fine-tune the immune response, and the prospect of genetic engineering offering hope for those grappling with autoimmune conditions. Join us for an enlightening exploration of the immune system and its potential to heal and protect.
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