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SUMMARY:Synthetic Immune Systems to Outsmart Cancer
DTSTART:20180417T161500
DTSTAMP:20260506T061752Z
UID:e3853d13628021d7bf15937447455c0599880b3669f376c4041fcafc
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Prof. Carl Fidgor\, Radboud University\, Nijmegen (NL)\nDISTIN
 GUISHED LECTURE IN BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING\n\nAbstract: \nDuring the past d
 ecade we have extensively explored dendritic cell based cancer vaccines. D
 endritic cells (DC) isolated from a patient are loaded with tumor antigen 
 and immune modulators to activate dendritic cells to optimize antigen pres
 entation and T cell stimulation. We now know that this form of immunothera
 py is safe and more recently we have also started to use natural DC circul
 ating in the blood instead of monocyte derived DC. In particular myeloid D
 C and plasmacytoid DC are a powerful combination\, now being tested in a p
 hase III trial.\nBecause with current DC based vaccinations a new vaccine 
 must be generated for each patient\, we have initiated studies to look for
  alternatives\, where we either can target DC in vivo or even replace DC b
 y the generation of ‘synthetic DC’. During my talk I will elaborate on
  these novel cancer vaccine developments and on the idea to design ‘synt
 hetic lymph nodes’ for local cancer treatment.\n \nBio:\nProf. Carl Fig
 dor investigates how we can use our immune system to fight cancer. By mean
 s of fundamental research into the function of cells in the immune system\
 , researchers gain a better understanding of the whole process involved. F
 igdor's group mainly focuses on one type of cell which plays an essential 
 part in this respect: the dendritic cell.\nA number of new molecules have 
 been identified that prove important for the proper functioning of this ce
 ll\, which can be found anywhere in the human body. The dendritic cell's t
 ask is to detect foreign intruders such as viruses and bacteria in an earl
 y stage and to alert the immune system. Researchers also use dendritic cel
 ls to vaccinate cancer patients. They charge these cells with cancer cell 
 proteins\, which are then used as vaccines in experimental patient studies
 . The group's aim is to develop preventive vaccines\, for example\, for he
 reditary types of cancer.\nFigdor is Director of the Centre for Molecular 
 Life Sciences and head of the department of Tumour Immunology. In 2008\, h
 e was elected as a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sci
 ences. He was awarded the Spinoza Prize in 2006.
LOCATION:SV 1717 https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==SV%201717
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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