Modulating Innate Immunity to Improve Lung Cancer Outcomes

In my thesis, I explore the impact of the Nlrp3 inflammasome in lung cancer progression and tumour microenvironment using mouse models. I found that genetic deletion of Nlrp3 significantly slowed tumour progression and increased the overall survival of mice. I also observed that genetic deletion of NLRP3 influences the tumour microenvironment. When NLRP3 is blocked with itself or neutralising the IL1β cytokines it produces, the tumour burden is reduced, suggesting it may have therapeutic potential.