Plenary Lecture

Novel Strategies for Enabling Anti-Cancer Immune Defence

Professor Vadim V. Sumbayev
School of Pharmacy
University of Kent
United Kingdom
E-mail: V.Sumbayev@kent.ac.uk

Abstract: We have recently discovered that acute myeloid leukaemia cells possess a unique biochemical pathway that allows them to escape host immune surveillance. This fundamental molecular pathway, which includes ligand-dependent activation of ectopically expressed neuronal receptor latrophilin 1 facilitating increased translation and exocytosis of the immune receptor Tim-3 and its ligand galectin-9. This occurs through protein kinase C and mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signalling pathways. Tim-3 is directly involved in secretion of galectin-9 and is also released in a soluble form. Galectin-9 impairs the cancer cell-killing activity of cytotoxic lymphoid cells including natural killer (NK) cells. Soluble Tim-3 prevents release of interleukin-2 (IL-2), a cytokine required to induce cytotoxic activity of lymphoid cells. Our recent experiments showed existence of the Tim-3/galectin-9 secretory pathway in other types of cancer including breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. This pathway provides reliable targets for both highly specific diagnosis and immune therapy of AML and possibly other types of cancer allowing to enable the host immune system to kill malignant cells.

Brief Biography of the Speaker: I obtained my PhD degree in Biochemistry in 1999 in Palladin Institute of Biochemistry NAS of UKraine. Then worked as assistant/associate professor at the Department of Biochemistry, Mechnikoff Odessa National University. In 2001 I obtained a highly competitive Humboldt Research Fellowship and moved to Germany (University of Kaiserslautern). Upon completion of my fellowship I spent three years in Aarhus (Denmark) working as assistant professor at the Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre, University of Aarhus. In December 2006 I joined School of Pharmacy, University of Kent (currently – associate professor (senior lecturer) of Biochemistry, Acting Head of Department of Biological Sciences & Director of Research.

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