Abstract

One limitation to successful cancer immunotherapy is the immunosuppressive effects of Tregs which are highly enriched in many tumours. This talk will focus on the impact of these cells in the context of human colorectal cancer (CRC) and in mouse models of cancer. In the case of CRC , Tregs are associated with disease progression and a paucity of T cell responses to tumour-associated antigens. Modulation of Treg numbers restores these immune responses, possibly leading to control of disease progression. In the case of mouse models, the talk will focus on the impact of Treg on the tumour vasculature. Modulating Treg numbers/activity results in alterations to the vasculature that serve to increase the frequency of tumour-infiltrating T cells and improve control of tumour growth. These findings could inform future therapeutic approaches to increase access of effector cells to the tumour microenvironment.