Tumor immune microenvironment in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: Predictive Immunological Analysis with Imaging Mass Cytometry

• Applicant: Dr. Jakob Einhaus
• Subject Area: Dentistry, Oral Surgery ; Otolaryngology, Phoniatrics and Audiology ; Hematology, Oncology ; Pathology
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 501644547

We propose a high-dimensional, single cell approach allowing the phenotypical and functional analysis of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) to identify hallmark TIME features of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) progression and advance our knowlegde of tumor progression and evasion mechanisms and significantly increase the predictive power of clinical diagnostic tools. We aim to develop a high-parameter imaging mass cytometry (IMC) assay to identify key TIME features (i.e immune cell distribution, spatial organization or effector function) that differentiate between OCSCC conventional staging systems, (Objective 1) and to build an accurate predictive model of OCSCC clinical outcomes, including the occurrence of locoregional recurrence, metastasis and death (Objective 2). IMC technology offers unprecedented analytic depth and resolution in multi-parametric analysis of tissue samples and allows simultaneous phenotypic and functional cell profiling on a single-cell level. This innovative approach combing imaging mass cytometry profiling of OCSCC samples with a machine-learning analysis of immune signaling networks holds great potential to advance the diagnostic process for OCSCC, to improve clinical decision making through accurate patient stratification and treatment optimization, as well as to broaden our understanding of fundamental principles of tumor-immune interactions in solid tumors in general.

• DFG Programme: WBP Fellowship
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Brice Gaudillière, Ph.D.