Understanding the contribution of extracellular vesicles in breast cancer immunoevasion

The deadliest breast cancer is the triple-negative subtype, which has few treatment options. New treatments are urgently needed to prevent deaths and improve the quality of life for the 3,000 Australians who are diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer every year.

Want to help us develop treatments for deadly breast cancer? Now is your chance. I have an exciting PhD project in my lab for domestic scholars (Australian citizens/permanent residents) looking to make their mark in the ground-breaking field of extracellular vesicle-informed understanding and therapeutics for breast cancer. 

The immune system is known to play a critical role in detecting and eliminating breast cancer cells and the Wolfram Laboratory has shown that triple-negative breast cancer cells release extracellular vesicles with harmful biomolecules that help the cancer cells avoid detection and destruction by the immune system. The project involves assessing how these extracellular vesicles affect the ability of immune cells to destroy breast cancer cells. The project also involves the development of new treatment options for breast cancer, including engineering natural killer cells to be resistant to extracellular vesicle-mediated suppression.

The Wolfram Laboratory is leveraging innovations in manufacturing, biological mechanisms, and targeting of extracellular vesicles to alter the trajectory of breast cancer, improve patient outcomes, and prolong healthy lifespan.

LONG-TERM GOALS

1. Uncover the mechanisms by which breast cancer extracellular vesicles suppress the immune system.
2. Develop a new paradigm of therapeutics (using engineered immune cells) to treat triple negative breast cancer.
3. Work with a multidisciplinary team and industry partners to position Australia as a global leader in extracellular vesicle medicine.