Resistance against cancer immunotherapy

Immunotherapy has transformed cancer therapy: Even patients with metastatic disease can achieve long-term remissions (and potentially cures) with immunotherapy. Unfortunately, the majority of patients with advanced cancer do not benefit from current immunotherapies, rendering primary and secondary resistance against cancer immunotherapy major clinical challenges.

We combine the in-vivo selection of immunoresistant cancer cells in animal models with functional genomics approaches to identify novel molecular determinants of immunotherapy resistance. With this approach, we are able to identify genetic circuits that cancer cells exploit to causally promote progression under immunoselective pressure. Ultimately, by charting the molecular circuits underlying resistance, we aim to determine new therapeutic targets with translational potential.