Ricerca Finalizzata CELLS-ON-CHIP TECHNOLOGY TO INVESTIGATE CROSSTALK CANCER/IMMUNE CELLS (DFM.AD004.058)

Area tematica

Scienze fisiche e tecnologie della materia

Area progettuale

Struttura responsabile del progetto di ricerca

Istituto di fotonica e nanotecnologie (IFN)

Responsabile di progetto

LUCA BUSINARO
Telefono: 06415221
E-mail: luca.businaro@cnr.it

Abstract

Cell-on-Chip (CC) systems allow reproducible tailoring and visualizing of cellular microenvironments with a fine control of the experimental settings, making them ideal tools to investigate the interactions between different biological systems, such as cancer and immune cells(1). We plan to use CC platforms to evaluate the effects of forced expression of the tumorsuppressor genes IRF1 and IRF8 in mouse and human melanoma cells on the crosstalk with immune cells. Specifically, we will co-culture melanoma and immune cells in CC devices and investigate i) migratory and invasive behavior of melanoma cells ; ii) immune cell migration and interaction with melanoma iii) immune cell subsets interacting with melanoma, iv) ability of immune cells from melanoma patients to interact with melanoma, and v) effects of pharmacological IRF1/8 activation on melanoma/immune cell crosstalk. In perspective, CC technology may serve as an innovative and predictive diagnostic tool in clinical oncology.

Obiettivi

Aim 1: Use of CC devices to evaluate the crosstalk between murine B16.F10 melanoma cells overexpressing IRF1/IRF8
and immune cells. Dissection of cell subsets involved. In vivo validation of the observations obtained (Proof-ofconcept)
by transplanting B16 cells, parental or overexpressing IRF1/IRF8, into syngeneic mice.
Aim 2: Use of CC approach to evaluate the interplay between human melanoma cell lines overexpressing or not
IRF1/IRF8 and HLA-compatible peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) from healthy donors or from melanoma
patients.
Aim 3: Evaluation of CC devices as a tool to study

Data inizio attività

10/11/2014

Parole chiave

cells-on-chip, lab-on-chip, microfluidics

Ultimo aggiornamento: 19/05/2024