Gamma delta T cell trafficking - chemokine receptors expressed by γδ T cells as a therapeutic strategy to inhibit metastasis

The spread of cancer or metastasis is a terminal disease, as clinicians have very little options to treat cancer patients with metastatic disease. This is due in large part to a lack of understanding about how metastasis occurs. Over the past several years, immune cells have been shown to play a major role in metastasis formation. One immune cell population, called γδ T cells, promotes breast cancer metastasis by working with another immune cell, called neutrophils, to suppress anti-metastatic, cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Therefore, targeting these γδ T cells may prevent breast cancer metastasis. This project will focus on chemokine receptors expressed by γδ T cells as a therapeutic strategy to inhibit metastasis. The student will analyse chemokine receptor expression on γδ T cells and determine which of these receptors is required for trafficking to metastatic organs, such as lung and lymph nodes. The student will use a broad range of techniques including genetically engineered mouse models, metastasis models, flow cytometry, various histological methods, as well as microscopy and imaging. This project may lead to new immunotherapeutic approaches to counteract breast cancer metastasis.

Keywords: Metastasis, Immune cells, Chemokines, γδ T cells