Labs and Groups
Ardolino Cancer Immunology Lab
Ardolino Cancer Immunology Lab
Team Leader
Michele Ardolino
Senior Scientist, Cancer ResearchWhat We Do
Why don't the Killers kill?
Understanding the immune system to develop better immunotherapy
The immune system is an incredible weapon against tumors and yet, cancer is often able to evade immune attack. We are interested in understanding why a subset of immune cells named Natural Killer cells are unable to eliminate tumor cells and to find new ways to harness their activity against cancer.
Understanding the immune system to develop better immunotherapy
The immune system is an incredible weapon against tumors and yet, cancer is often able to evade immune attack. We are interested in understanding why a subset of immune cells named Natural Killer cells are unable to eliminate tumor cells and to find new ways to harness their activity against cancer.
Research Activities
- Tumor Immunology: We are interested in the basic mechanisms that govern the immune response to cancer, with a particular focus on Natural Killer cells. We are currently investigating why Natural Killer cells fail to eliminate tumors. We are studying the contribution of checkpoint receptors, such as PD-1 and LAG-3, in suppressing NK cell responses. We are also interested in the crosstalk between Natural Killer cells and immuno-modulatory cells, such as Tregs and MDSCs.?
- Oncolytic Virotherapy: Oncolytic viruses represent an innovative solution for cancer immunotherapy. We are interested in studying how oncolytic viruses modulate the immune response and design novel viruses with improved anti-tumor efficacy.?
- The Immunoprofile Effort: In collaboration with surgeons at The Ottawa Hospital, we are profiling the phenotype and function of immune cells in human cancer using high end flow cytometry and single cell RNA-sequencing.?
- Screens: We are conducting a number of screens to understand the biological mechanisms that regulate expression and function of checkpoint receptors.
- Oncolytic Virotherapy: Oncolytic viruses represent an innovative solution for cancer immunotherapy. We are interested in studying how oncolytic viruses modulate the immune response and design novel viruses with improved anti-tumor efficacy.?
- The Immunoprofile Effort: In collaboration with surgeons at The Ottawa Hospital, we are profiling the phenotype and function of immune cells in human cancer using high end flow cytometry and single cell RNA-sequencing.?
- Screens: We are conducting a number of screens to understand the biological mechanisms that regulate expression and function of checkpoint receptors.
Selected Publications
1. Hsu J.+, Hodgins J.J.+, Marathe M., Nicolai C.J., Bourgeois-Daigneault M.C., Trevino T.N., Azimi C.S., Scheer A.K., Randolph H.E., Thompson T.W., Zhang L., Iannello A., Mathur N., Jardine K.E., Kirn G.A., Bell J.C., McBurney M.W., Raulet D.H. and Ardolino M. Contribution of NK cells to immunotherapy mediated by PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2018, 128(10):4654-4688
2. Ardolino M., Azimi C.S., Iannello A., Trevino T.N., Horan L., Zhang L., Deng W., Ring A. Fischer S., Garcia K.C., Raulet D.H. Cytokine therapy reverses NK cell anergy in MHC-deficient tumors. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2014, 124 (11):4781-94
3. Ardolino M., Zingoni A., Cerboni C., Cecere F., Soriani A., Iannitto M.L., Santoni A. DNAM-1 ligands expression on Ag-stimulated T lymphocytes is mediated by ROS-dependent activation of DNA-damage response: relevance for NK-T-cell interaction. Blood, 2011, 117 (18); 4778-86
2. Ardolino M., Azimi C.S., Iannello A., Trevino T.N., Horan L., Zhang L., Deng W., Ring A. Fischer S., Garcia K.C., Raulet D.H. Cytokine therapy reverses NK cell anergy in MHC-deficient tumors. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2014, 124 (11):4781-94
3. Ardolino M., Zingoni A., Cerboni C., Cecere F., Soriani A., Iannitto M.L., Santoni A. DNAM-1 ligands expression on Ag-stimulated T lymphocytes is mediated by ROS-dependent activation of DNA-damage response: relevance for NK-T-cell interaction. Blood, 2011, 117 (18); 4778-86