Isabelle Magalhaes

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.

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.