{"654956":{"#nid":"654956","#data":{"type":"event","title":"Immunoengineering Seminar Series","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBringing together members of the bio community interested in and doing research in immunoengineering.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026quot;Leveraging Enzymatic Elimination of Immunosuppressive Adenosine to Extend Survival in a Murine Colorectal Cancer Model\u0026quot;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EMaria Jennings\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EGraduate Student -\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/blazecklab\/\u0022\u003EJohn Blazeck, Ph.D.\u003C\/a\u003E, Advisor\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nABSTRACT\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAdenosine is a small molecule that counteracts inflammation. Under normal conditions, adenosine calms immune cells to allow healing following trauma or infection. Yet unlike normal cells, cancer cells generate abnormally high levels of adenosine that keep immune cells from destroying them. Additionally, the inflamed tumor landscape supports increased expression of adenosine receptors on both cancer and immune cells. In tumors, high adenosine concentrations coupled with increased adenosine receptor density result in the following: 1) suppressed immune cells are unable to attack tumors, and 2) adenosine signaling encourages cancer cells to make more adenosine. I report the development of a human enzyme, Homo sapiens adenosine deaminase I (HsADA1), to reduce adenosine concentrations in tumors. HsADA1 degrades adenosine so efficiently that the process is limited by how quickly adenosine can diffuse into the enzyme rather than the enzyme\u0026rsquo;s ability to act upon it. When administered to mice with tumors, HsADA1 slows tumor growth and extends the lifespan of treated mice relative to mice provided placebo. Following resolution of HsADA1\u0026rsquo;s structure, we mutated the enzyme for enhanced stability at conditions like those in the body. I will further discuss ongoing efforts to better HsADA1 functionality as a cancer therapeutic and the subsequent impact on tumor mouse models. From a 30,000-foot view, I intend to demonstrate the efficacy of adenosine depletion as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of solid cancers through my work with HsADA1.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUpcoming Immunoengineering Trainee Seminars - Spring 2022\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nMarch 4 - Maggie Brown \u0026amp; Erin Connolly (Gibson Lab) and Grazia Marsico (Singh Lab)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nApril 15 - Maggie Manspeaker (Thomas Lab) and Fredrick Bulondo (Babensee Lab)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cem\u003EThe goal of this series is to enhance our Immunoengineering community here at Georgia Tech and to include involvement from Emory participants at regular intervals. Seminars will feature one or two research presentations by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, followed by lively discussion.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nIf you have any questions or are interested in being a speaker, please contact \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:karen.martin@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKaren Martin\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amuhuri3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAbir Muhuri\u003C\/a\u003E, or \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:belindajoseph@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBelinda Joseph\u003C\/a\u003E. Thanks! \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"\u0022Leveraging Enzymatic Elimination of Immunosuppressive Adenosine to Extend Survival in a Murine Colorectal Cancer Model,\u0022 - Maria Jennings, Graduate Student, Blazeck Lab"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2022-01-31 13:59:20","changed_gmt":"2022-01-31 13:59:20","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2022-02-04T09:30:00-05:00","event_time_end":"2022-02-04T10:30:00-05:00","event_time_end_last":"2022-02-04T10:30:00-05:00","gmt_time_start":"2022-02-04 14:30:00","gmt_time_end":"2022-02-04 15:30:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2022-02-04 15:30:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1254","name":"Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1795","name":"Seminar\/Lecture\/Colloquium"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78761","name":"Faculty\/Staff"},{"id":"177814","name":"Postdoc"},{"id":"78771","name":"Public"},{"id":"174045","name":"Graduate students"},{"id":"78751","name":"Undergraduate students"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:karen.martin@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKaren Martin\u003C\/a\u003E - event inquiries\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}