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Immune

Immune 69: Lung cancer and retroviruses

Jun 15, 2023
Kevin Ng, a researcher studying the promotion of immunotherapy of lung cancer by antibodies against endogenous retroviruses, joins Immune and discusses his work. They explore the role of endogenous retroviruses in the immune system and the development of a mouse model for studying lung cancer. They also delve into the functionality of B cells in tumor protection, the role of PD1 and PDL1 in regulating the immune response, and using gene sequencing and baseline data to predict cancer response.
01:09:50

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Tertiary lymphoid structures and B cell responses play a significant role in lung cancer immunotherapy.
  • Different histological subtypes of lung cancer exhibit variations in immunogenicity, impacting the effectiveness of immunotherapy approaches.

Deep dives

The Role of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Lung Cancer Immunotherapy

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) within lung cancer tissue have been associated with improved patient survival. Within these TLS, B cells organize into germinal center-like structures, and the presence of these structures correlates with a stronger B cell response and the production of antibodies. As a mouse model, a lung cancer cell line expressing endogenous retroviruses was used. The mice developed TLS containing B cells and exhibited an antibody response against the tumor. Additionally, antibody transfer experiments showed that serum from these mice could protect against tumor growth. In human patients with adenocarcinoma, the transcription of endogenous retrovirus envelope proteins was observed, and this correlated with the presence of TLS. PDL1 blockade, a commonly used immunotherapy approach, led to an expansion of B cell responses in both the mouse model and human patients. These findings suggest that B cell responses and the presence of TLS, possibly mediated by endogenous retroviruses, play a significant role in lung cancer immunotherapy.

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