April 29: Novel Insights and Strategies for Advanced T cell-based Immunotherapies
In her PhD thesis, Astrid Cleven (UMC Utrecht) and colleagues aimed to improve engineered T cell therapies, with a focus on T cells engineered to express a defined γδ T Cell receptor (TEGs).
Immunotherapy in general and CAR-T cell therapy in particular have emerged as groundbreaking approaches in the way we treat cancer by harnessing the power of the human immune system during the past decades. Despite their high success rates in some tumor types, many patients, especially those with solid tumors, still fail to benefit from this treatment.
In her PhD thesis, Astrid Cleven (Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht) and colleagues aimed to improve engineered T cell therapies, with a focus on T cells engineered to express a defined γδ T Cell receptor (TEGs), by tackling from various sites: First, improving pre-treatment patient screening for Vγ9Vδ2TCR-based therapies by providing new insights into the recognition mechanism of those special TCRs. Second, by identifying and analyzing the most potent subsets of engineered T cells, and finally by modifying T cells for improved migration to the tumor site, tumor infiltration of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and tumor killing.
PhD defense
Astrid Cleven defended her PhD thesis on April 24, 2024 at Utrecht University. The title of her thesis was “Vγ9Vδ2TCR and Beyond - Novel Insights and Strategies for Advanced T cell-based Immunotherapies”. Supervisor was Prof. Jurgen Kuball MD PhD (Center for Translational Immunology and Department of Hematology, UMC Utrecht). Co-supervisor was Zsolt Sebéstyen, PhD (Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht) and Trudy Straetemans, PhD (Department of Hematology, UMC Utrecht).