Studying factors controlling cancer progression and immune recognition in mouse models

总结

Summary Over the past three decades, the Jacks laboratory has been a recognized leader in the development and characterization of genetically engineered mouse models of cancer, among other pre-clinical models. The laboratory has also studied human cancer specimens and datasets to validate finding from their experimental systems and to advance discoveries toward clinical translation. While Jacks laboratory has investigated many cancer types over time, this proposal is focused on models of lung adenocarcinoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. By developing and deploying tools of genetic engineering and genetic profiling, such as CRISPR-based methods and single-cell analysis, the laboratory has pioneered new models and analytical approaches that have allowed for a deeper understanding of disease progression, including interactions between developing tumors and the immune system. This proposal builds on this foundation at the intersection of cancer biology and technology development to explore in detail the molecular and cellular aspects of tumor evolution. Single-cell profile methods will be augmented by spatial transcriptomics to characterize the changes in gene expression—in cancer cells as well as other cell types within the tumor microenvironment—in situ, rather than in dissociated cells. Genes and pathways implicated by this analysis will be subjected to functional analysis using organoid-based models as well as in the autochthonous setting. A second major theme of this proposal is the further exploration of tumor-immune interactions in lung cancer, which the laboratory has been studying for several years. Following up on experiments investigating the factors that control T cell activation and dysfunction in the setting of lung and pancreas cancer development, the laboratory will explore methods to provoke effective anti-tumor T cell responses as well as an improved response to immunotherapy. These studies will investigate the nature of the antigens and antigen combinations that induce effective T cell priming and activation, including through prophylactic and therapeutic vaccinations. Results of these experiments will inform new therapeutic approaches, including novel cancer vaccine strategies, in human cancer patients.