Immuno-engineered Organoids and Nanogels for Modulating the Fate of Healthy and Diseased Immune Cells
Event details
| Date | 12.09.2016 |
| Hour | 12:15 |
| Speaker | Prof. Ankur Singh, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (USA) |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
BIOENGINEERING SEMINAR
(sandwiches served)
Abstract:
Ex vivo immune organs can enable mechanistic understanding of the immune system, provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that lead a variety of immune-related malignancies, including B and T cell lymphomas, and more importantly, accelerate the translation of immunotherapies. In this talk, I will discuss two complementary strategies developed in my lab which recapitulates the anatomical microenvironment of a lymphoid tissue and provides the basis to regulate the kinetics of immune reaction as well as mimic a neoplasm-like heterogeneous microenvironment. These strategies could, in the long term, change the understanding of the initiation and progression of hematological tumors, allow primary bio-specimen analysis, provide prognostic values, and importantly, allow a faster and more rational screening and translation of therapeutic regimens. Finally, I will talk about the role of mechanical forces found in lymphoid tissues on lymphomas and nano-engineered approaches towards safer cancer immunotherapy. Soluble antigen-based cancer vaccines have poor retention in tissues along with suboptimal antigen processing by dendritic cells. Multiple booster doses are often needed, leading to dose-limiting systemic toxicity. A versatile, immunomodulatory, self-assembly protein nanogel vaccine will be described that induces robust immune cell response at lower antigen doses than soluble antigens, an important step towards biomaterials-based safer immunotherapy approaches. These examples illustrate the power of bioengineering approaches in shaping the immune response and studying immune cell biology.
Bio:
current: Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
2010-13: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
2006-10: Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
2004-06: M.Tech. Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay
(sandwiches served)
Abstract:
Ex vivo immune organs can enable mechanistic understanding of the immune system, provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that lead a variety of immune-related malignancies, including B and T cell lymphomas, and more importantly, accelerate the translation of immunotherapies. In this talk, I will discuss two complementary strategies developed in my lab which recapitulates the anatomical microenvironment of a lymphoid tissue and provides the basis to regulate the kinetics of immune reaction as well as mimic a neoplasm-like heterogeneous microenvironment. These strategies could, in the long term, change the understanding of the initiation and progression of hematological tumors, allow primary bio-specimen analysis, provide prognostic values, and importantly, allow a faster and more rational screening and translation of therapeutic regimens. Finally, I will talk about the role of mechanical forces found in lymphoid tissues on lymphomas and nano-engineered approaches towards safer cancer immunotherapy. Soluble antigen-based cancer vaccines have poor retention in tissues along with suboptimal antigen processing by dendritic cells. Multiple booster doses are often needed, leading to dose-limiting systemic toxicity. A versatile, immunomodulatory, self-assembly protein nanogel vaccine will be described that induces robust immune cell response at lower antigen doses than soluble antigens, an important step towards biomaterials-based safer immunotherapy approaches. These examples illustrate the power of bioengineering approaches in shaping the immune response and studying immune cell biology.
Bio:
current: Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
2010-13: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
2006-10: Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
2004-06: M.Tech. Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free
Organizer
- Dr. Edward Phelps (Baekkeskov Group)