Perivascular inflammation and blood-brain barrier dysregulation after CAR T cell immunotherapy

Diffuse midline gliomas are universally lethal pediatric brain tumors.

Results from the ongoing clinical trial using GD2 CAR T-cell for treatment of H3K27M+ diffuse midline gliomas in children have shown positive treatment responses in many patients, but complications involving neuroinflammation and risk of intratumoral hemorraghes could cause lifelong cognitive impairments and even death.

The purpose of this postdoc program is to improve safety and efficacy of CAR T cell immunotherapy, with the aim of defining perivascular inflammation and blood-brain barrier dysregulation following treatment.

We will use a novel method for large-scale sequencing of vascular and perivascular cells in the brain at single-nuclei resolution called Vessel Isolation and Nuclei Extraction (VINE-seq) which provides me with an excellent opportunity to study the effects of CAR T cell therapy in experimental mouse models and human brain tissue samples.

The post doc will be conducted at Stanford University, in Prof. Michelle Monje’s lab, a world leader in cancer neuroscience and also the leader of the clinical trial (above). I will start my postdoc in July 2023 and stay for two years.

My prior experience with mouse models and wet lab techniques, along with my clinical path toward a pediatric oncologist-scientist, makes me well suited for the project.

Ultimately, this work could lead to higher survival rates and improved quality of life for patients, enabling individuals to thrive following cancer care.