CAR T Cell Trafficking Into Gliomas

An illustraion of CAR T cell trafficking into gliomas This project develops an advanced mouse model of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell cancer immunotherapy for malignant brain tumors, which has been challenging in the clinical setting because of limited ability of the CAR T cells to travel to the tumors and survive in the hostile microenvironment.

We will use an immunocompetent transgenic mouse model to induce brain-intrinsic tumors via viral delivery of oncogenes into brain progenitor cells, and image the tumor growth and CAR T cell infiltration into the tumor using two-photon microscopy via a cranial window.

This model enables us to study of molecular mechanisms of CAR T cell targeting against brain tumors by manipulating T cell guidance cues, T cell signal recognition, and adhesion molecule activation.

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