PhD defence by Hannes Linder

Exploring Novel Mechanisms of Immunosuppression in Cancer

Assessment Committee:
Professor Anders Woetmann Andersen, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen (Chairperson)
Associate professor Daniela De Zio, University of Southern Denmark (SDU) and Danish Cancer Institute (DCI)
Professor Jürgen C. Becker, University Hospital Essen and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)

Supervisors:
Clinical Professor Daniel Hargbøl Madsen
Group Leader Per Thor Straten

Department:
Department of Immunology and Microbiology

Graduate Programme:
Immunology and Infectious Diseases

Place:
Herlev Hospital, Room: Lille Auditorium, Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej 1, Opgang 1, 2730 Herlev

Email address to gain access to the thesis: hannes.linder@regionh.dk 
You will either receive a copy of the thesis or be informed where you can read a physical copy.

Short description of the thesis:
Cancer immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment by enabling the immune system to recognize and attack tumors. However, only a minority of patients benefit from current immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint blockade, largely due to immunosuppressive mechanisms within the tumor microenvironment. This Ph.D. thesis identifies and characterizes two novel immunosuppressive molecules, SERPINA3 and SLAMF8, that are induced in cancer cells in response to T cell-mediated immune attack and contribute to immune escape. Using in vitro and in vivo cancer models, the study demonstrates that targeting these molecules enhances anti-tumor immune responses and improves the efficacy of existing immunotherapies. The findings highlight promising new therapeutic targets that may help improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.