Despite major advances in our understanding of the mechanisms behind the body’s immune response against cancer, several obstacles limit the success of immunotherapy as a cancer treatment. In particular, the physical exclusion of immune cells from tumour beds is associated with poor prognosis and a limited response to immunotherapy.
Dr. Rodriguez’s research will address this issue by investigating the mechanisms underlying the exclusion of immune cells in ovarian cancer. The results will lead to more effective treatments to help the immune system eradicate ovarian and related cancers. The findings of this research will lead directly into first-in-human clinical trials for patients with ovarian cancer and related malignancies.