Immunotherapy to treat pancreatic cancer
Overview
- RESEARCH DIRECTION
- Lee-Hwa Tai, Professeure - Department of Immunology and Cellular Biology
- ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT(S)
-
Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé
Département d’immunologie et de biologie cellulaire
- LEVEL(S)
-
2e cycle
3e cycle - LOCATION(S)
-
Campus de la santé
IRCUS
Project Description
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most challenging cancers to treat, due in part to its resistance to conventional therapies and highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Our laboratory is developing an innovative oncolytic virus-based approach designed to directly target tumor cells while reprogramming the tumor microenvironment to promote anti-tumor immunity. This project will investigate and optimize a therapeutic vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and define its mechanisms of action in pancreatic cancer. The PhD candidate will investigate the molecular and immune mechanisms underlying these effects and identify biomarkers associated with therapeutic response. The project will employ preclinical pancreatic cancer models, multiparameter flow cytometry, molecular biology, imaging, and patient-derived tumor models. This project will provide multidisciplinary training at the interface of cancer biology, immunology, virology, and therapeutic development, within a highly collaborative and clinically oriented research environment.
Discipline(s) by sector
Sciences de la santé
Biologie cellulaire, Immunologie
Funding offered
Yes
CIHR
The last update was on 16 September 2026. The University reserves the right to modify its projects without notice.