‘In order to detect and fight off infections and diseases, our immune system must recognise tiny flags presented on the surface of cells. These flags are made up of very small pieces of proteins called peptides. Immunopeptidomics is the scientific study of these peptide flags. Improved understanding of these peptide flags can help us develop novel vaccines and other cancer therapies that can better target diseases with reduced side effects by training the immune system to recognise and attach harmful cells.
The HIPP Summer School 2024 was a scientific conference which brought together experts in the field of immunopeptidomics. It was a fantastic opportunity to discuss in detail different approaches for performing immunopeptidomics, as well as methods for analysing, visualising and sharing the results. There was a strong emphasis on identifying ways to get the most out of datasets during both acquisition (by using different machine modalities) and analysis (by incorporating different types of software/search engines), which will help us to better identify potential new targets for immunotherapy/cancer vaccine development.
Additionally, the event involved a number of sessions focused on translational immunopeptidomics, which emphasised ways the scientific method could be applied in order to directly benefit patients. The sessions, which focused on various topics including symptomatic and asymptomatic infections, autoimmunity, and cancer, provided me with new perspectives on ways immunopeptidomics could impact the broader immunology/cancer filed and ultimately – patients.
It was a fantastic opportunity to present my own research as part of the COMBATcancer consortium. We are investigating the peptide makeup of colorectal cancer, with the goal of:
- better understanding how it impacts the development and progression of the disease and
- how we can use it to generate new therapies for the cancer.
I am grateful to the Oxford CRUK Centre for funding my attendance at the conference which has boosted my research capabilities.’