Stimulation of liver immune cells with adjuvant immunotherapy restricts the occurrence of liver metastasis

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atmire.migration.oldid5875
dc.contributor.advisorKubes, Paul
dc.contributor.authorBabes, Liane
dc.contributor.committeememberRobbins, Stephen
dc.contributor.committeememberLee, Samuel
dc.date.accessioned2017-08-23T18:10:33Z
dc.date.available2017-08-23T18:10:33Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.date.submitted2017en
dc.description.abstractThe prognosis of most cancer patients depends on the extent of primary tumor metastasis to distant organs. At the time of diagnosis a substantial percentage of patients with colorectal carcinoma have already developed liver metastases. Many patients who are free of liver metastases can be saved by surgical resection of the primary tumor, however, surgery itself can enhance metastasis development in the liver. Circulating tumor cells in the liver sinusoids interact with various resident immune cells in the liver such as Kupffer cells, iNKT cells and neutrophils. This interaction results in weak immunity against tumor cells due to the tolerant environment in the liver which promotes the establishment of metastases. We hypothesized that adjuvant immunotherapy could stimulate liver resident effector cells to attack tumor cells thereby restricting their survival and lowering the occurrence of hepatic metastases. We found that monoclonal antibody therapy targeting tumor cells stimulates Kupffer cells to phagocytose cancer cells and impedes the formation of liver metastases. However, Kupffer cells lack the ability to reduce established metastases. In a different approach we used a strong iNKT cell agonist (α-GalCer) to stimulate the secretion of immunomodulatory cytokines in the liver. iNKT cells created a tumor hostile hepatic microenvironment that led to reduced tumor growth and increased the survival rate. Yet, continuous treatment with the iNKT cell agonist attenuated the anti-tumor effect and enhanced the incidence of metastases indicating that α-GalCer therapy is only effective within a narrow temporal window. Lastly, the engagement of circulating neutrophils by therapeutic antibodies in combination with innate immune checkpoint inhibition demonstrated that neutrophils have anti-tumor activity in the presence of therapeutic antibodies in the liver. These studies demonstrated that adjuvant immunotherapy can delay the formation of liver metastases but they also indicated that the start point and duration of treatment are critical factors and that anti-metastatic therapy is only effective within a narrow window.en_US
dc.identifier.citationBabes, L. (2017). Stimulation of liver immune cells with adjuvant immunotherapy restricts the occurrence of liver metastasis (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/27881en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/27881
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11023/4035
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectEducation--Sciences
dc.subjectBiology
dc.subjectOncology
dc.subject.otherImmunology
dc.titleStimulation of liver immune cells with adjuvant immunotherapy restricts the occurrence of liver metastasis
dc.typedoctoral thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineImmunology
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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