ACMD Seminar: Regulation of PD-L1 inside the tumour microenvironment

Adarsh Kumbhari
Applied Mathematics, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia

Tuesday, April 27, 3:00 EDT (1:00 MDT)

A video of this talk is available to NIST staff in the Math channel on NISTube, which is accessible from the NIST internal home page.

Abstract:  The protein PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1 are upregulated on both cancerous and immune cells within tumours, and blocking this pathway may induce anti-tumour immunity. The extent to which PD-L1 expression reflects immune activity, however, is poorly understood. Here, we use mathematical modelling to explore how PD-L1 expression changes in response to T-cell killing. We show that PD-L1 expression on monocytes, the principal source of PD-L1 inside tumours, rapidly equilibrates in response to T cell killing, which may explain the low predictive power of PD-L1 expression. This suggests that moving beyond measuring PD-L1 expression could lead to better ways to detect and treat cancer.

Bio:  Adarsh Kumbhari is a mathematical biologist from the University of Sydney, NSW, Australia. He develops mathematical and computational models to answer biologically motivated questions in immunology and cell biology. His current research focuses on (1) the effects of drugs on cancer eradication; (2) how specific proteins are regulated inside tumours; and (3) whether the organisation of mitochondria affects their function.

Host: Anthony Kearsley

Note: This talk will be recorded to provide access to NIST staff and associates who could not be present to the time of the seminar. The recording will be made available in the Math channel on NISTube, which is accessible only on the NIST internal network. This recording could be released to the public through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Do not discuss or visually present any sensitive (CUI/PII/BII) material. Ensure that no inappropriate material or any minors are contained within the background of any recording. (To facilitate this, we request that cameras of attendees are muted except when asking questions.)