A Glioblastoma Immunotherapy Modality based on Dendritic Cell Reprogramming In Vivo

Purpose and goal

Cancer heterogeneity and the formation of an immunosuppressive tumor environment are among the causes for the failure of immunotherapy. Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly heterogeneous tumor type characterized by intratumoral and systemic immunosuppression. Cellular reprogramming is emerging as a tumor-agnostic and immunosuppression-independent immunotherapy modality. This proposal aims to connect cellular reprogramming and immunotherapy as a novel therapy for GBM.

Expected effects and result

Current immunotherapy strategies for GBM lack tailoring and efficacy. By leveraging cellular reprogramming to increase therapy efficacy, we propose a robust immunosuppression-independent alternative. Our strategy could potentially enable the future management of hard-to-treat heterogeneous tumors – it is applicable to all patients (off-the-shelf therapy); at the same time, it is personalized, as it is based on unique antigen presentations in each patient and different tumor clones.

Planned approach and implementation

To achieve the proposed goals, the Pereira lab will join forces with Dr. Viviane Tabar, MD, Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery and Theresa C. Feng Professor of Neurosurgical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York, USA, and Asgard Therapeutics in Lund, Sweden. This collaboration will combine reprogramming, stem cell research and organotypic cultures with clinical expertise, ensuring competitive project development.