A NSCLC lung cancer cell line examined under the microscope.
Immunotherapy regimens that disrupt the inhibitory PD-1/PD-L1 axis have recently emerged as promising treatments that can unleash anti-tumor immunity against a wide range of cancers, including a subset of lung cancers. However, the response rate in unselected patients for these therapies is only approximately 20%. In order to improve patient response, the various mechanisms of successful tumor evasion from the host immune system must be understood.
In collaboration with Dr. Raphael Nemenoff’s laboratory, we have studied orthotopic mouse models of various non-small cell lung cancer cell lines. Mass cytometry studies have revealed pronounced differences in the responses of immunotherapy-susceptible and resistant cell lines to the anti-tumorigenic cytokine, interferon-gamma as well as a difference in induction of MHC class II. This suggests that the utilization of these pathways could be a predictor of response to treatment with immunotherapy.
In addition to the study of cell lines and mouse models, we have also participated in studies utilizing mass cytometry and multiplexed IHC on biopsy samples from patients with lung cancer, allowing us to study the tumor microenvironment at a high dimensional level.