Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

The immune system plays a major role in lung cancer biology, and recently developed therapies that target or manipulate specific immune cells (i.e., immunotherapies) have revolutionized lung cancer treatment. Most immunotherapies have focused on improving the anti-tumor effects of T cells. However, B cells are also a major component of the immune system and the role of B cells in tumor control remains poorly understood. We have found that mice with elevated levels of a special type of B cell, called B-1 B cells, have dramatically decreased tumor growth in the lungs. B-1 B cells are immune cells that can destroy infectious microbes by producing a unique class of antibodies known as "natural IgM" antibodies. Natural IgM antibodies are found in the circulation and are the body's first defense against infection. Emerging evidence suggests that IgM antibodies secreted by B-1 B cells may be able to target certain cancer cells, representing an untapped resource for anti-tumor therapy. We will use a variety of pre-clinical tumor models to assess how B-1 B cells influence lung tumor growth, including the use of mice with elevated B-1 B cells and therapeutic transfer of B-1 B cells into normal mice. Additionally, we will test how IgM antibodies produced by B-1 B cells interact with tumor cells and determine whether IgM antibodies can be used as a new anti-cancer therapy. Therapeutic strategies that target the immune system are becoming increasingly common for treating lung cancer; however, we have just begun to harness the full power of the immune system for lung cancer treatment. Improving our understanding of the mechanisms by which B-1 B cells and their secreted antibodies can impact lung cancer growth will allow us to develop new and improved therapies to treat patients with lung cancer.