Investigating T cell tolerance in nevi and its role in melanoma prevention

This research explores the intricate relationship between proteins in the tumor environment, known as the extracellular matrix (ECM), and the behavior of natural killer (NK) cells, which play a crucial role in our immune defense against cancer. Specifically, we focus on melanoma, a type of skin cancer that is often characterized by high levels of collagen and diminished NK cell activity. Understanding how ECM components influence NK cell function could pave the way for innovative cancer therapies.
Our study has three main objectives. The first objective is to study the impact of collagen receptors on NK cells. A specific collagen receptor called LAIR 1 is known to limit the ability of NK cells to attack melanoma tumors. We will use mouse models to assess tumor growth and NK cell activity when LAIR 1 is absent to see if targeting LAIR 1 in the future can help NK cells attack melanoma tumors better. The second objective is to analyze the role of collagen III in NK cell activity. We aim to understand how collagen III alters NK cells to make them better in attacking melanoma cells. We will also specially designed mice without collage III to observe the changes that will occur in NK cells when they are exposed to melanoma cells. Our last objective is to discover the influence of other ECM proteins, such as elastin, on NK cell function. We will collect ECM from melanoma tumors and analyze its composition to investigate how these proteins affect NK cells in vitro.
Our findings could lead to innovative strategies and therapies for enhancing NK cell activity against solid tumors, specifically melanoma. It is promising that we may offer new avenues for cancer treatment and prevention. The projects could also be applied to other solid tumors, potentially improving outcomes for patients affected by various cancers.