Dr. Nicolas Jacquelot

The tumor microenvironment is a multifaceted entity. Immune cells that infiltrate the tumor form complex interactions with cancer and stromal cells. This interplay has a direct effect on patient prognosis, therapy responses and survival outcomes. Novel strategies that harness a patient’s own immune system have revolutionised cancer treatment. This has had a major impact on clinical outcomes. Despite this, most patients still fail to respond. Research has tended to focus on the role of adaptive lymphocytes rather than on innate immunity in cancer. Despite their critical role in fighting infections and promoting inflammation driving autoimmune diseases, how innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), considered as the innate counterpart of adaptive lymphocytes, impact tumor development, progression and cancer treatments remain vastly unknown. 

Our laboratory examines the contribution of these ILCs to tumor development and therapy responses. Our overreaching goal is to improve cancer patient prognosis through the development of ILC-based treatments. We leverage our expertise in mouse models, tissue biology, tumor immunology, flow-cytometry, microscopy, and multi-omics analyses to perform experiments that test the role and function of ILCs in cancer.

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Ongoing research efforts include:

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1.  Investigating the cellular and molecular pathways influencing ILC function in tumors.

2. ​ Dissecting ILC signalling pathways and communication with other cells within the tumor microenvironment.

3. ​​Determining ILC prognostic values and therapeutic potential in cancer.