Research projects

Cancer immunotherapies have achieved durable tumor remissions in some patients, but still many others respond poorly or not at all to the current strategies. This implies the need to identify new therapeutic targets that potentiates antitumor immunity in these patients. Most research in tumor immunology has focused on protein-coding genes, which represent less than 2% of the human genome. However, the role of non-coding RNAs in this process is poorly understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are attractive targets for enhancing antitumor immunity due to their ability to control immune cells rapidly and efficiently by simultaneously regulating a network of protein-coding target genes. This project will study the antitumoral function and therapeutic potential of a microRNA and its target genes in preclinical models of cancer, with the aim of providing new therapeutic targets that enable the design of improved immunotherapies that benefit a greater number of patients.