p140Cap as a predictive biomarker for breast cancer response and efficacy to immunomodulating therapies (AIRC, borsa di studio Italy Post-Doc 2023)

This post-DOC application is the natural continuation of my recent publication (Salemme et al., 2023) in which I highlight a new tumor suppressor function of p140Cap based on its ability to counteract the establishment of a tumor progression conducive microenvironment by limiting the infiltration of immunosuppressive cells. By in vitro and in vivo analysis I demonstrated that p140Cap modify the breast tumor immune microenvironment by limiting the cancer stem cell compartment via the inhibition of the WNT/ β-Catenin pathway. Thus the application is based on very solid data, to give a larger impact on breast cancer therapy, with a particular interest to the very promising immunomodulation approach. I am pretty sure that this fellowship will offer me at least two great opportunities [1] to improve my skills in cancer research, given the use of PDXs, PBMCs and Immunomodulatory drugs and [2] to start seeing research from a more translational point of view. Notably, I think that this fellowship will provide new important chances to move forward in this very promising project as well as to extend my network and create new collaborations. Moreover, I am confident that will also represent an important chance to improve my career and my commitment in cancer research.