GRANT and AWARDS SERIES (My First AIRC Grant): Gaia Codolo

Pubblicato il: 25.02.2020 10:34

Title - Tackling mechanisms of immune evasion in cancer: focus on the impaired antigen presentation.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are one of the major immune cells that infiltrate the tumor. In the tumor microenvironment TAMs orchestrate various dynamics that culminate in the inhibition of the antitumor immune response, allowing tumor cells to evade the immune system. In many tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC), a high infiltration of TAMs is usually associated with a poor prognosis.

This project is aimed at dissecting the mechanism of immune evasion in colorectal cancer. It will study the molecular pathways and molecules that switch-off the ability of macrophages to counteract tumor growth; some of these molecules could act as immune-checkpoint. The final goal of this project is to pave the way toward the design of novel approaches for the TAMs-targeted immunotherapy.

PI’s Biography

GC is an immunologist, who is interested in elucidating the molecular pathways that regulate the innate immune response both in chronic infection and in cancer. In the last years, she studied the mechanisms of immune evasion during Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection; in particular, she investigated the molecular pathways the lead to the impairment of antigen presentation process in Hp-infected macrophages. The antigen presentation process is crucial also in tumors; indeed, a productive anti-tumor response requires the contribution of an effective antigen presentation. More recently, she focused her research on elucidating the mechanisms leading to antigen presentation impairment in tumors.

Social Media: @GCodolo and @DiBio_UniPd

Email: gaia.codolo@unipd.it