Anne Caignard Regulation of the immune response in Melanoma

Course and current status

Actual position

INSERM DR2, Department of Immuno-Hematology, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, 27, Rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014 Paris

Team leader Regulation of the immune response in Melanoma,

Education/ Training

  Previous positions and laboratories

1985-86: Award winner from the Japanese Association for the Promotion of Science, Fellow in the National Cancer Center Research Institute of Tokyo, Director:  Dr Takashi Sugimura

1986-90: INSERM Researcher in INSERM U 252, University of Dijon “Immune response in rat colorectal cancers” Director Pr François Martin

1991-94: INSERM Researcher CR1, INSERM U333, Institute Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, “Immune response in human tumors”   Director Dr Thierry Hercend

1995-2007: INSERM Researcher, Chief project, INSERM U753, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif. Director: Dr Salem Chouaib

2008-2011: INSERM Researcher DR2, Team Manager, INSERM U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris” Regulation of the immune response in Melanoma” Director: Dr Pierre Olivier Couraud

Scientific summary

Characterization of Natural Killer cell subsets infiltrating human melanoma

For several solid tumors resistant to conventional treatments which include malignant melanoma, immunotherapy remains an alternative of choice. To manipulate the immune response against the tumors with favorable results, it is important to understand the interactions between tumor cells and cytotoxic immune cells. We focus our interest on the study of Natural Killer cells because recent experimental data indicate that they are involved in the antitumor response. The role of NK cells in immunosurveillance of human tumors remains poorly documented and the mechanisms of tumor escape are not well understood. Globally, tumor infiltrating NK (NK-TIL) have not been well characterized. From our recent data, we hypothesized that NK-TIL could influence the natural progression and/or response to melanoma treatment (either conventional or perhaps with targeted therapies).

Our main objectives are 1- to characterize the phenotype and functional capacities of NK-TIL, by ex vivo analyses from primitive and metastatic lymph nodes melanoma; 2- to study the distribution of NK cells in situ to establish a correlation between NK infiltrate and tumor prognosis.

This program will bring new and original findings on the local immune response in melanoma and more specifically will characterize the NK-TIL along tumor progression. This research program may result in new immunotherapeutic strategies to target NK cells and tumor cells for a more efficient treatment.