C Caux’s team – S Depil’s group

Group “Development of immunotherapies targeting non-conventional tumor antigens”
(Prof. Stéphane Depil) 

Project

Tumor-associated mutations located in coding DNA generate neoepitopes that can be recognized by T cells. These neoepitopes are associated with clinical response to immune checkpoints inhibitors. Many tumors are characterized by a low or moderate tumor mutational burden, limiting the identification of neoepitopes. There is therefore a major need to identify new families of tumor-specific antigens, to investigate their presentation to the immune system and their tolerogenic or immunogenic skills. Our group focuses on two categories of non-conventional tumor antigens: (i) antigens derived from endogenous retroviruses specifically overexpressed by tumor cells; (ii) antigens derived from translational defects specific to tumor cells.

Our aim is to characterize the immune responses associated with the expression of these antigens in solid tumors and hematological malignancies and to develop new immunotherapies, immunogenic and protective strategies (such as vaccines and cell therapies) targeting these tumor antigens. Our group works closely with ErVaccine Technology, a start-up company integrated in Centre Léon Bérard, to bring into the clinic the results of this research.

Members

Prof. S. Depil, MD, PhD
Prof. C. Delprat (Full Professor of Immunology, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Head of the Immunology teaching team, Coordinator of the Master Erasmus+ Mundus «Leading International Vaccinology Education»: LIVE Master website, LinkedInCD)
C. Fabres (research engineer)
P. Bonaventura, PhD (post-doc)
V. Alcazer, MD (PhD student)
Estelle Baulu (PhD student)
Junchao Miao (PhD student)
Rabia Masud (M2 LIVE)
David Rouillon (M2 Cancer biology)

Publications

• Development of ‘off-the-shelf” allogeneic CAR T cells: state of the art, challenges and perspectives. Depil, P. Duchateau, S. Grupp, G. Mufti, L. Poirot. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2020, 19(3): 185-199
• Towards “off the shelf” allogeneic CAR T cell. B. Aftab, B. Sasu, Krishnamurthy, E. Gschweng, V. Alcazer, S. Depil. Adv. Cell. Gene Ther 2020, 00; e86
• Human Endogenous Retroviruses: Shaping the Innate Immune Response in Cancers. V. Alcazer, P. Bonaventura, S. Depil. Cancers 2020, 12(3) E610.
• Comparison of three different ELISAs for the detection of recombinant, native and plasma IL-17A. M.B. Ismail, S.O. Åkefeldt, M. Lourda, D. Gavhed, R. Gayet, M. Aricò, J.I. Henter, *C. Delprat & *H. Valentin. MethodsX 2020 Jul 16;7:100997.
• Cancer vaccines: what’s next? S. Depil, Bonaventura, V. Alcazer. Oncotarget 2019, 10(40) :3985-3987
• Cold tumors: a therapeutic challenge for immunotherapy. Bonaventura, T. Shekarian, V. Alcazer, J. Valladeau-Guilemond, S. Valsesia-Wittmann^, S. Amigorena, C. Caux, S. Depil. Front Immunol. 2019 Feb 8; 10:168.
• Neoepitopes-based vaccines: challenges and perspectives. Alcazer, P. Bonaventura, L. Tonon, S. Wittmann, C. Caux, S. Depil. Eur J Cancer 2019, 108: 55-50.
• High levels of plasma interleukin-17A are associated with severe neurological sequelae in Langerhans cell histiocytosis. M.B. Ismail, S.O. Åkefeldt, M. Lourda, D. Gavhed, M. Aricò, J.I. Henter, * C. Delprat & *H. Valentin. Cytokine 2019 Oct 16;126:154877. * Co-last
• Human monocyte-derived dendritic cells turn into foamy dendritic cells with IL-17A. G. Salvatore, N. Bernoud-Hubac, N. Bissay, C. Debard, P. Daira, E. Meugnier, F. Proamer, D. Hanau, H. Vidal, M. Arico, *C. Delprat & *K. Mahtouk. J Lipid Res. 2015 56: 1110-1122.
• Answering the call for educating the new generation of vaccinologists – A new European Erasmus(+) Joint Master degree in vaccinology. Paul, N. Rochereau, P. Martinez, T. Stratmann, P. Delputte, C. Delprat, G.A. Poland. Vaccine 2015. 33 (46): 6135-6136.