Isabelle Magalhaes

Isabelle Magalhaes

Affiliated to Research | Docent
Visiting address: NEO Medicinaren 25, HERM plan 7, Hälsovägen 7C (lastkaj), 14157 Hudding
Postal address: H7 Medicin, Huddinge, H7 HERM Uhlin Magalhaes, 171 77 Stockholm
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About me

  • Associate professor (Docent) in Immunology, Karolinska Institutet.
    Since March 2024, Team leader, Karolinska Institutet, Dept. of Medicine Huddinge, Center for Hematology and Regenerative Medicine (HERM).

    February 2023-February 2024, Team leader, Karolinska Institutet, Dept. of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology.
    April 2019 - January 2023, Senior researcher, deputy group leader, Karolinska Institutet, Dept. of Oncology Pathology.

    April 2015 - March 2019, Assistant professor, Karolinska Institutet, Dept. of  Oncology Pathology.
    September 2013 - March 2015, Postdoctoral fellow, U1016 INSERM, Institut  Cochin, Dept. of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes (Paris, France).
    September 2010 - August 2013, Researcher, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge & Karolinska Institutet, Dept. of Laboratory Medicine.

    June 2009 - August 2010, Postdoctoral fellow, Karolinska Institutet, Dept. of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology.
    2005-2009, PhD in Immunobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Dept. of Microbiology, Tumor and Cellular Biology.

    Thesis title: “/CD8alpha/alpha+ T-cells and Immune Memory/”.

    https://openarchive.ki.se/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10616/39450/thesis.pdf?sequence=1&;isAllowed=y
    2002, Master in Immunology (Diplôme d’études approfondies), Paris VII University & Institut Pasteur (Paris, France).
    2000, Bachelor in Cellular Biology and Physiology, Rennes II University (Rennes, France).

Research

  • My goal is to contribute to the improvement of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for the treatment of cancer. Our group is working on the  development of mesothelin (MSLN) CAR T cell therapy for the treatment of ovarian cancer. A preclinical model of orthotopic ovarian cancer in mice has been established in our group, which allows to test /in vivo/ the antitumor efficacy of MSLN CAR T cells.


    Recent publications:
    Schoutrop E, Poiret T, El-Serafi I, Zhao Y, He R, Moter A, Henriksson J,  Hassan M, Magalhaes I*, Mattsson J*. Tuned activation of MSLN-CAR T cells
    induces superior antitumor responses in ovarian cancer models. [1]J Immunother Cancer. 2023 Feb;11(2). doi: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005691.


    Schoutrop E, Moyano-Galceran L, Lheureux S, Mattsson J, Lehti K, Dahlstrand H, Magalhaes I. Molecular, cellular and systemic aspects of epithelial
    ovarian cancer and its tumor microenvironment. [2]Semin Cancer Biol. 2022 Nov;86(Pt 3):207-223. doi: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.03.027.


    Schoutrop E, Renken S, Micallef Nilsson I, Hahn P, Poiret T, Kiessling R,  Wickström SL, Mattsson J, Magalhaes I. Trogocytosis and fratricide killing
    impede MSLN-directed CAR T cell functionality. [3]Oncoimmunology. 2022;11(1):2093426. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2022.2093426.


    Renken S, Nakajima T, Magalhaes I, Mattsson J, Lundqvist A, Arnér ESJ,  Kiessling R, Wickström SL. Targeting of Nrf2 improves antitumoral responses
    by human NK cells, TIL and CAR T cells during oxidative stress. [4]J Immunother Cancer. 2022 Jun;10(6). doi: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004458.


    Schoutrop E, El-Serafi I, Poiret T, Zhao Y, Gultekin O, He R, Moyano-Galceran L, Carlson JW, Lehti K, Hassan M, Magalhaes I*, Mattsson J*. Mesothelin-Specific CAR T Cells Target Ovarian Cancer. [5]Cancer Res. 2021 Jun 1;81(11):3022-3035. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-20-2701.


    Magalhaes I, Fernebro J, Abd Own S, Glaessgen D, Corvigno S, Remberger M,  Mattsson J, Dahlstrand H. Mesothelin Expression in Patients with High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Does Not Predict Clinical Outcome But Correlates with CD11c+ Expression in Tumor. [6]Adv Ther. 2020 Dec;37(12):5023-5031. doi: 10.1007/s12325-020-01520-w.


    [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36746513/
    [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35395389/
    [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35898704/
    [4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35738800/
    [5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33795251/
    [6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33052561/

Teaching

Articles

All other publications

Grants

  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2024 - 31 December 2028
    Cancer is the second most common cause of death in Sweden. Recent breakthroughs in cancer therapy, e.g. check-point blockade and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, highlight the potency of the immune system in controlling and eradicating cancer, but also its limitations in combating many forms of solid tumors. Major efforts are needed to better target cancer and enhance the homing, persistence and function of effector immune cells, requiring close collaboration between basic and clinical scientists. Our goal is to create a vibrant multidisciplinary center that bridges expert knowledge in the biology of cytotoxic lymphocytes – immune cells that kill cancer cells – with that of good manufacturing practice compliant production and adoptive cell therapy in the clinic. Thereby, we will foster innovative new adoptive cell therapies focused on tumor-directed lymphocytes. A major emphasis will be on recruiting and supporting outstanding young principal investigators as well as postdoctoral researchers dedicated to engineering of lymphocytes for cellular therapy of cancer. We will also establish a program for internationally leading visiting scholars to invigorate discussions and innovation within our unique research constellation. Scholars will also contribute to teaching of workshops and graduate courses. Altogether, our efforts aim to expand competence and create an international leading platform within a rapidly developing field of living drugs against cancer.
  • Swedish Cancer Society
    1 January 2022
    Patients with various forms of blood cancer treated with CAR-modified T cells can also be treated with steroids. Despite many improvements in treatment, women with ovarian cancer continue to have a poor prognosis. This application has two main purposes. 1. Study how steroids affect CAR-modified T cells. 2. Test in our laboratory whether your own white blood cells can be genetically modified so that these specifically and effectively kill cancer cells. This treatment exists today for patients with blood cancer and we now want to test whether we can improve this against ovarian cancer. Taken together, these two studies can partly provide a new treatment in which the body's own immune system effectively fights cancer.

Employments

  • Affiliated to Research, Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, 2024-2026

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2021
  • Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 2009

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