Describe the main findings from your paper
In this paper we demonstrated that the combination of cold atmosphere plasma (CAP) and immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) treatment mediated by the local hydrogel can evoke both strong innate and adaptive, local and systemic anti-tumor immune responses, thereby inhibiting both tumor growth and potential metastatic spread.
What do you think makes this paper stand out from other papers in the field?
This paper stands out from other papers due to the following three key points:
- The injectable hydrogels were employed to preserve reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) from CAP and to deliver these reactive species in tumors in deeper tissues;
- Both innate and adaptive immune responses can be activated by the CAP treatment;
- The potential clinical translation of this approach exists.
Therefore, this paper provides a new solution to address the unmet needs and clinical challenges associated with ICB, and has the potential to improve the impact of current and future immunotherapies, which deserves further clinical validation.
What was your favourite experiment in this paper, and how was it conducted?
My favorite experiment in this paper was the investigation of anti-tumor effect of the combination of CAP and ICB treatment. Following intratumoral injections, the tumor volumes were measured and recorded every two days. The combination therapy showed the best control of tumor growth when compared with all the other groups. This exciting result was a solid proof of the great anti-tumor effect of this combination therapy.
How do you think your lab, or other researchers, could expand on this work?
The fatal recurrence of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which was the tumor model we used in this work, is often seen in many TNBC patients in clinic. Hence, I think we can expand this work by further investigating whether the combination of CAP and ICB treatment on primary tumors can stimulate the immunological memory to combat the recurrence or rechallenge of TNBC. Besides, since ICB drugs have been approved to treat many kinds of cancers in clinic, our combination strategy can also be investigated to treat more cancer models for a wider range of application.
In what ways did working on this project help you grow as a scientist?
Experiments were not always successful, and I learnt how achieve the goal by analyzing the unsuccessful results and with the persistence while going through the hard time. The wisdom and the strength of my own were limited, so I realized the importance to discuss and cooperate with other collaborators. Additionally, I was also trained to organize the data into a cohesive story logically, and to introduce my work to others.
Anything else you would like to mention?
I would like to acknowledge the help I received in this work from my supervisor, Prof. Guojun Chen, other lab members in Chen lab and many collaborators, the support from McGill Life Science Complex Cell Vision Core, Histology Core, and the GCI research support team, and the studentship from the Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute and the BME recruitment award.