Chimeric Antigen Receptor  (CAR) T-cell therapy has revolutionized the therapeutic landscape for hematological malignancies. However, the tumor microenvironment (TME) limits the efficacy of this approach in solid tumors. Advanced solid tumors are experts in immune response evasion, characterized by aberrant cell proliferation and vascularization, resulting in a hypoxic environment inhospitable to most cells, as well as containing their own immunosuppressive immune cells. Responses to  CAR T-cell therapy remain sporadic and transient in patients with solid tumors. To mount an effective response, CAR T-cells must bypass this hostile TME, infiltrate the tumor, recognize their tumor-specific antigen, and then differentiate and persist as memory T cells that provide long-term protection.

Research over the years has determined that the spatial context of the TME is key to understanding cancer and improving its treatment. Spatial analysis of the TME reveals the distribution patterns of cell populations and elucidates the communication between cellular components. David Steffin, an assistant professor at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, will discuss how to use CODEX (CO-Detection by indEXing), a single-cell spatial phenotyping solution, to characterize the microenvironment of various pediatric tumors and to understand the potential interactions that CAR T-cells may elicit.

During the webinar, viewers will:

• Learn how spatial phenotyping can generate a high-resolution map of the TME
• Discover how to design an antibody panel for specific tumors of interest
• Explore how to use spatial analysis tools to evaluate data across patient samples.
  

If you’ve already registered, please click here to login to the webinar.