Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Antigen-Restricted Rumor Immunity

The goal of our work is to provide a detailed understanding of the mechanisms, signals and molecular pathways that regulate discriminating self from non-self and give rise to tumor-specific cytotoxic T cell immunity.

Our specific aims are to address the following:

1) What are the cellular and molecular elements that enable the immune system to recognize subtle antigenic variations from self to initiate a cytotoxic immune response?

2) How is the specificity of the induced immune response determined?

In other words, what is the process by which the presentation of diverse antigens by DC is reduced to activation of specific effector T cells? Understanding the means by which DC and T cells communicate to initiate antigen-restricted tumor immunity and how these processes are regulated will provide a roadmap for designing novel, more potent cancer immunotherapies.