CPB 697 RESEARCH SEMINAR

DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE PATHOBIOLOGY

Chuanwu Wang, Bachelor of Agronomy, Master of Agronomy

Graduate Student in Immunology

Department of Comparative Pathobiology

Purdue University

“Trafficking Receptors And Migration Of Tumor-Associated FoxP3⁺ Regulatory Cells”

Thursday, November 30, 2006

VPTH 112

3:30 p.m.

ABSTRACT:

It is well known that tumor cells can evade host immune responses. There are several mechanisms with which tumor cells evade anti-tumor immune responses. One of the mechanisms is hijacking immune-suppressive FoxP3⁺ T cells to weaken anti-tumor responses. FoxP3⁺ T cells are a subset of CD4⁺ T cells and are specialized in suppression, rather than, promoting immune responses. Normally, FoxP3⁺ T cells are an essential component of the immune system to prevent hyper-immune responses and autoimmunity. While it is reported that FoxP3⁺ regulatory cells are highly enriched in many types of cancer, it has been poorly determined how these FoxP3⁺ regulatory cells are enriched in tumors. To address this issue, we have been studying how FoxP3⁺ cells migrate to tumors and tumor-draining lymph nodes. I will present our recent data on the trafficking behavior and potential trafficking receptors of tumor-associated FoxP3⁺ cells. Our data provide insights into their differentiation, trafficking behavior, and retention within the tumors.