Description

A postdoctoral position, with salary funded for two years is available in the team 13 “Oncogenomic and immunology of myeloma” of the Cancer research Centre of Toulouse (team 13, CRCT) directed by Dr. Martinet. The candidate will investigate the role of nectin receptor in cytotoxic lymphocytes anti-tumour functions using a complementary set of experimental approaches involving both human samples and relevant mouse models.

Profile

We seek a highly motivated scientist that hold a Ph.D in immunology with a strong background in cellular immunology, cell signaling and experience in mouse models. Good track record, communication, technical and organizational skills are expected.

Offer

The position is for 2 years, available immediately. The application should contain a motivation letter, CV and contact details of 2 referees.

Project

The manipulation of endogenous immune response against cancer represents a promising approach to potentiate actual drugs and induce long lasting remissions. We recently contributed to show the importance of a new family of stress sensing receptors that include CD226 (DNAM-1), CD96 (TACTILE) and TIGIT (WUCAM, Vstm3) in regulating immune response mediated by NK and CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes (Martinet et al, Nature immunology 2014, Cell reports 2015, nature reviews immunology, 2015). Their common ligands, the nectin family proteins CD112 and CD155, are regulated by cellular stress and are often expressed at the surface of malignant cells. We recently obtained strong evidence demonstrating that CD226 activating receptor limits spontaneous multiple myeloma (MM) development and is required for anti-myeloma chemotherapy optimal efficacy (Guillerey et al, Journal of clinical investigation 2015). A better understanding of nectin receptor family role in cytotoxic lymphocyte anti-tumor responses is the focus of this project. To achieve these goals, a complementary approach involving tumor mouse models and analysis of cancer patients’ samples will be used.

Relevant publications

  1.  Kyohei Nakamura, Sahar Kassem, Alice Cleynen, Marie-Lorraine Chrétien, Camille Guillerey, Eva Maria Putz, Tobias Bald, Irmgard Förster, Slavica Vuckovic, Geoffrey
  2. Hill, Seth L. Masters, Marta Chesi, P. Leif Bergsagel, Hervé Avet-Loiseau, Ludovic Martinet*, Mark J. Smyth*. Dysregulated IL-18 is a key driver of immunosuppression and a possible therapeutic target in the multiple myeloma microenvironment. Cancer Cell. Accepted. * Equal authorship.
  3. Camille Guillerey, Lucas Ferrari de Andrade, Chritopher Chan, Slavica Vuckovic, David Ritchie, Leif Bergsagel, Marco Colonna, Daniel M. Andrews, Geoff R. Hill, Mark J. Smyth and Ludovic Martinet. NK and CD8+ T cells mediated immune-surveillance and therapy against Multiple Myeloma depends on DNAM-1. Journal of clinical investigation, 2015.
  4. Ludovic Martinet, Lucas Ferrari De Andrade, Camille Guillerey, Jason S. Lee, Jing Liu, Fernando Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes, Dana Hutchinson, Tatiana B. Kolesnik, Sandra E. Nicholson, Nicholas D. Huntington & Mark J. Smyth, DNAM-1 expression governs an alternative program of NK cell maturation. Cell Reports, 2015.
  5. Ludovic Martinet and Mark Smyth. Balancing NK cell activation through receptors binding nectin and nectin-like proteins. Nature Reviews Immunology, 2015 March 6.
  6. Chan CJ*, Martinet L*, Gilfillan S, Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes F, Chow MT, Town L, et The receptors CD96 and CD226 oppose each other in the regulation of natural killer cell functions. Nature immunology 2014 Mar 23.* Equal authorship.

 

Contact

ludovic.martinet @inserm.fr

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