Dissecting cell communication cell by cell
Analysis of primary patient samples reveals specific and context-dependent contributions of signals from the tumor microenvironment that shape the composition and activation states of cells in the tumor ecosystem. We used single-cell technologies to analyze these signals in a case of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with concomitant cutaneous B-cell lymphoma.
Moreover, we identified epigenetic factors that give rise to the development of Langerhans cell histiocytosis, a macrophage-driven pediatric disease that lies at the interface of cancer and inflammation.
To understand the consequences of direct cell-cell interactions, we developed a new technology that allows the fully controlled manipulation of interactions and subsequent analysis of the separated cell pairs at a single-cell resolution using single-cell RNA sequencing.
This methodology complements in situ predictions of possible cell-cell interactions and enables a functional dissection of the gene regulatory dynamics in the wake of direct cell-cell contacts.
What will you learn?
- T cell and B cell lymphoma of the skin in the same patient are shaped by a different tumor microenvironment
- Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a malignant disease partially driven by inflammatory signals of the tumor immune microenvironment
- The cell interaction profiling system is a new methodology to functionally study the gene regulatory dynamics of cell-cell interactions
Who may this interest?
- Cancer researchers
- Immunology researchers
- Clinical researchers
- Translational researchers
Speaker
Matthias Farlik, PhD
Principal Investigator
Medical University of Vienna
Matthias Farlik is the Principal Investigator at the Innate Immune Activation Lab (INIMAC lab; Medical University of Vienna, Austria). The INIMAC lab focuses on processes leading to the activation of innate immune cells, in particular macrophages and natural killer cells, which are critical initiators and contributors to a wide spectrum of diseases. They strive to understand the complex interplay of molecules and cells on the activation of macrophages and natural killer cells in response to infections as well as in granulomatous diseases and histiocytoses.
This webinar was recorded on Wednesday 21st September 2022
In association with
