Investigating how T cells shape cancer development

the immune response and tumor equilibrium

Immunosurveillance for tumors begins at a very early stage in tumor development and in some cases results in the ability of the immune system to control tumor outgrowth. Tumors can evade this control through a process called immunoediting that is thought to have three steps: elimination, equilibrium, and escape. Our interest is in understanding how T cells and tumors interact during the equilibrium phase. We are investigating these interactions in vivo using autochthonous, genetically engineered models of sarcoma where tumors form and reach an equilibrium. This effort will shed new light on the biology of T cells that control tumors, how this control is exerted and how the control breaks down.

This work was supported by a grant from the Yale Cancer Center.