Frazer Institute Winter Research projects

Development of novel immunotherapies for hard-to-cure solid cancers

Hours of engagement	36
Location	Woolloongabba: Translational Research Institute (TRI)
Project description	Solid tumors present significant challenges in immunotherapy due to their immunosuppressive microenvironment, heterogeneity, and resistance to current treatments. This project focuses on engineering novel NK cell-based therapies to enhance anti-tumor immunity against hard-to-treat solid cancers, such as sarcomas and breast cancers. The student will have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge immunotherapy strategies, including: Development of CAR-NK cells targeting tumor-specific antigens to improve cytotoxic activity. mRNA-based engineering of immune cells for enhanced function and persistence. Multi-omics analysis to identify novel immune targets and optimize cell therapy approaches. Co-culture assays with cancer cells to evaluate therapeutic efficacy in a clinically relevant setting. This project provides hands-on experience in cell culture, flow cytometry, gene editing, and immunological assays, making it an excellent opportunity for students interested in translational immunotherapy research. The work will contribute to the development of next-generation therapies with potential clinical applications, offering valuable insights into the intersection of cancer biology, bioengineering, and immunology.
Expected outcomes and deliverables	This project aims to generate novel immunotherapeutic strategies to enhance the effectiveness of NK cell-based therapies against hard-to-cure solid cancers. The student will contribute to key research activities and gain hands-on experience in cellular immunotherapy development, functional assays, and data analysis. By the end of the project, the student is expected to: -Successfully engineer and characterize CAR-NK using molecular and cellular techniques such as mRNA transfection and flow cytometry. -Evaluate immune cell function in co-culture assays with tumor cells, and assessing tumoricidal activity. -Analyze experimental data and contribute to research discussions, learning how to interpret multi-omics and immunological datasets. -Present findings in a final report or presentation, summarizing key results and potential future directions. This project will provide the student with valuable experience in translational immunology and cancer research, potentially contributing to future publications and laying the foundation for further studies in immunotherapy.
Suitable for	Undergraduate and master students considering a future PhD or research career in immuno-oncology, and/or bioengineering.
Additional requirements	This project requires evidence of Hepatitis B vaccination or non-susceptibility before commencing.
Primary Supervisor	Associate Professor Fernando Guimaraes f.guimaraes@uq.edu.au Guimaraes Group - Translational innate immunotherapy
Instructions to applicants	The supervisor MUST be contacted by students prior to submission of an application.