This project investigates how cancers disrupt the development and function of natural killer (NK) cells and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), which are critical components of the body’s anti-cancer immune response. Using mouse models of cancer, the research will examine how tumour progression affects NK cell and ILC1 homeostasis in peripheral tissues and bone marrow. The study will explore the mechanisms behind these disruptions, including whether tumour-derived factors alter immune cell development. Understanding these processes could inform new strategies to enhance cancer immunotherapy effectiveness.

This research will reveal how tumours systemically impair cell development, leading to immune dysfunction that promotes cancer progression. Insights gained may guide improved immunotherapies by targeting the mechanisms causing these hematopoietic and immune abnormalities.