School of Biomedical Sciences cordially invites you to join the following Post-doctoral Fellow (PDF) Seminar:

Date: 23 October 2024 (Wednesday)
Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre 2, G/F, William M.W. Mong Building, 21 Sassoon Road
Host: Dr. Yunying Huang

Light refreshments will be served. Please register via the below link by 21 October 2024 (Monday):
Registration: https://hku.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0vmA3Ke3cPE4Gq

Unveiling the heterogeneity of tumor immune microenvironment for enhanced immunotherapy in CTNNB1-mutated hepatocellular carcinoma
Dr. Huajian Yu (Post-doctoral Fellow)
[Supervisor: Professor Stephanie Ma]

The increasing administration of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has emerged as a pivotal standard of care for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Nevertheless, the intricate heterogeneity of HCC and tumor immune microenvironments (TME) poses a significant hurdle to the efficacy of immunotherapy, limiting the efficacy to a subset of patients. CTNNB1 mutations, prevalent as key drivers in HCC, are linked to immune exclusion and resistance to immune therapy. Modern immunotherapeutic strategies are shifting focus beyond T cell-centric approaches, recognizing the potential significance of myeloid cells in developing innovative targeting tactics. It is still unclear how the intricate interplay and remodeling dynamics between myeloid cells and lymphocytes is shaping the hostile immunosuppressive TME in CTNNB1-mutated HCC tumors that is well-characterized by sparse T cell infiltration and poor fitness of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. This research study endeavors to illuminate the immune heterogeneity within the myeloid cell repertoire, unraveling the intricate interplay between distinct myeloid cell subsets and CD8+ T cell subsets in orchestrating T cell infiltration and shaping the tumor immune landscape. Through these insights, we aspire to provide valuable guidance for personalized immunomodulation strategies tailored to HCC patients harboring CTNNB1 mutations.

Therapeutic Salmonella induces long-term protective trained immunity in NK cells against cancer metastasis
Dr. Li Rong (Post-doctoral Fellow)
[Supervisor: Professor Jiandong Huang]

Trained immunity, a form of innate immune memory initially recognized in pathogen defense, has recently been reported to aid in combating cancer. Although trained immunity has been well-characterized in myeloid lineage cells, its presence in innate lymphoid cells, particularly natural killer (NK) cells, remains largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that a single dose of therapeutic Salmonella YB1, an engineered oxygen-sensitive strain, induces trained immunity in NK cells, resulting in long-lasting protection against metastasis. Mechanistically, these NK cells establish enduring reprogrammed epigenome characterized by enhanced pro-survival signaling and immune effector functions. We further found that IL-12 and IL-18 are essential for this training effect, but insufficient on their own. Furthermore, Salmonella-trained NK (stNK) cells outperform the common immune checkpoint therapies, such as PD-1 and TIGIT blockade, in suppressing metastasis. These findings reveal a novel long-term anti-metastatic function of trained immunity in NK cells, highlighting its potential as an effective antitumor strategy.

All are welcome.