WEHI PhD Completion Seminar hosted by Associate Professor Joanna Groom

Raymond Qin

PhD Student – Groom Laboratory, Immunology division, WEHI

PhD Student – Rogers Laboratory, Advanced Technology and Biology division, WEHI

CXCR3 Chemokine Regulation of Lymphocyte Migration: from Microfluidic Chemotaxis Chamber to Cancer Tertiary Lymphoid Structure

 

Davis Auditorium

Join via TEAMS

Including Q&A session

Cell migration is a fundamental process for immune homeostasis and defence. Chemokines are key signaling molecules that guide migration direction by forming concentration gradients in tissues. Multiple chemokine networks co-ordinate the location and migration of immune cells within organs. Previous work from the lab have shown that chemokine receptor CCR7 and CXCR3 families are important for T cell location in mouse lymph nodes. During my PhD I have characterised the expression and deposition of the ligands of CXCR3, CXCL9 and CXCL10 in lymphoid tissues. These demonstrated a CXCL9 niche that was established due to glycosaminoglycan binding. I further expanded this work to investigate CXCL9 within the tumour microenvironment. For this, I established a new tumour model that naturally forms tertiary lymphoid structures. In this system, immune checkpoint blockade control of tumour growth was shown to be CXCL9-dependent. Finally, to deconstruct these complex chemokine environments, I developed a “Lymph Node on a Chip” microfluidic device capable of generating stable, tunable chemokine gradients.

Overall, my PhD provides an in-depth investigation of CXCR3 chemokine, especially CXCL9, in different settings. This work offers new insights in health and disease and will provide new strategies to improve immunotherapies.

All welcome!