Galina Gabriely,
Instructor, Department of Neurology,
Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Galina Gabriely is researcher at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She was trained as a Molecular Biologist in the area of intracellular transport and obtained her Ph.D. at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Then, she studied the functions of microRNAs in the most malignant brain tumor and currently incurable cancer, glioblastoma. In her first study, she identified the mechanisms of function of miR-21 and miR-10b in glioma pathogenesis. In 2011, Dr. Gabriely joined the lab of Dr. Weiner to investigate the role of immune suppression in gliomagenesis. With recent successes in employing immunotherapeutic antibodies in clinics, she decided to explore the therapeutic effects and mechanism of function of anti-latency-associated peptide (LAP) antibody against glioblastoma. Currently, Dr. Gabriely is investigating the anti-tumorigenic role of anti-LAP antibody in different cancer models. She is also interested in examining the synergistic effects of anti-LAP when combined with existing treatment modalities.
Therapeutic Effects of anti-LAP Antibody in Different Cancer Models
Wednesday, 2 November 2016 at 17:30
Add to Calendar ▼2016-11-02 17:30:002016-11-02 18:30:00Europe/LondonTherapeutic Effects of anti-LAP Antibody in Different Cancer ModelsCancer Immunotherapy and Biofluid Biopsies 2016 in Boston, USABoston, USASELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
A major advance in the treatment of cancer has been the development of immunotherapy that acts by counteracting the suppressive environment established by the tumor. Although it is known that regulatory T cells contribute to cancer immune suppression, there are few surface molecules on Tregs that can specifically be targeted for the treatment of cancer. We identified a novel Treg population characterized by the expression of surface latency-associated peptide (LAP) which is a regulator of TGF-ß, a potent immunosuppressive cytokine. An increase in LAP+CD4+ T cells has been reported in human cancer, including head and neck and colorectal cancer. To study the regulatory role of LAP+CD4+ T cells in mouse models of cancer we developed a murine monoclonal anti-LAP antibody. We found that treatment with anti-LAP reduces tumor growth and increases survival in various cancer models, including colon carcinoma, glioblastoma and melanoma. Anti-LAP antibody is able to block TGF-ß release from cells expressing LAP and also reduces both the number and suppressive abilities of tumor-associated LAP+CD4+ regulatory T cells. Anti-LAP treatment triggers a profound peripheral immune response by acting on both innate and adaptive parts of the immune system. These changes are associated with an increased infiltration of cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes into tumors. Based on the TCGA data analysis, the expression of LAP-associated genes correlates inversely with patient survival in a number of cancers that include, among others, glioblastoma, colon carcinoma and melanoma. In conclusion, anti-LAP antibody as a monotherapy or combined with conventional anti-tumor modalities represents a novel immunotherapeutic approach for cancer treatment.
Add to Calendar ▼2016-11-01 00:00:002016-11-02 00:00:00Europe/LondonCancer Immunotherapy and Biofluid Biopsies 2016Cancer Immunotherapy and Biofluid Biopsies 2016 in Boston, USABoston, USASELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
Add to Calendar ▼2016-11-02 17:30:002016-11-02 18:30:00Europe/LondonTherapeutic Effects of anti-LAP Antibody in Different Cancer ModelsCancer Immunotherapy and Biofluid Biopsies 2016 in Boston, USABoston, USASELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
