Role of MDSCs and Cancer Stem Cells and Their Cross Talks in NSCLC

Immunotherapy have revolutionized the field of oncology, but response rates are low and all patients relapse, due to cellular and soluble immunosuppressive mechanisms. MDSC are one of the most important immunosuppressive cells, that also harbour non immunologic functions, favouring cancer invasion. These non immunologic functions of MDSC in lung cancer will be better characterized. Indeed, cellular mechanisms will be analysed by in vitro studies, assessing the effect of immunosuppressive cells, provided by fresh tumor samples, on phenotype and functions of lung cancer cell lines. The aim of this study is to better characterize immunosuppressive landscape of NSCLC and mechanisms involved in their protumor functions.