This application encompasses a 5-yeasr training program designed for the development of a pre-doctorial scientist. The candidate is currently enrolled in the Molecular and Cell Biology Program at Dartmouth College. Dr. Jose R Conejo-Garcia, assistant professor with a dual appointment in Microbiology and Immunology and in Medicine, will serve as her mentor. He has secured funding for the next 5 years and is also a member of the underrepresented minority group. An advisory committee of highly prominent scientists will provide further scientific and career advice through periodical meetings. The candidate will participate in a careful selection of course, seminars and scientific meetings as part of the training program. The broad goal of the research proposal is to elicit protective immunity against ovarian cancer. Our central hypothesis is that ovarian cancer-infiltrating dendritic cells can be activated in vivo and in situ to elicit efficient presentation of phagocytosed tumor antigens to anti-tumor T-cells in a therapeutically relevant manner.
The specific aims of the project are: 1. Determine how CD40/TLR agonists impact the immune response against ovarian cancer. 2. Define the molecular requirements for the immune response elicited by CD40/TLR agonists. 3. Determine the effect of CD40/TLR stimulation on adoptively transferred tumor-reactive T cells. This work will pave the way for a new generation of immunotherapies which, by complementing standard therapeutic approaches, will make a difference in the dismaying survival rates of ovarian cancer patients. Dartmouth Medical School is an ideal setting for the proposed training plan by incorporating the expertise of outstanding scientists with diverse backgrounds in a friendly environment an by offering access to state of the art technologies.
