Could we simply ask our bodies to fight cancer? The idea is not as implausible as you might think. Based in London, Caetano Reis e Sousa studies adaptive immune response. More specifically, he is working to find ways of manipulating the immune response to fight cancer.

Dendritic cells, the "negotiators" of immunity

Dendritic cells play a key role in the immune system. They can suppress or boost immune response by phagocytosing (ingestion and digestion) particles of intruders, called antigens, and presenting them to lymphocytes. The role of lymphocytes is then to destroy the infected cells. Depending on the secondary signals with which they are associated, antigens either trigger an adaptive immune response or, on the contrary, induce immunological tolerance.

Dendritic cells play a central role in the onset of autoimmune diseases and the development of cancers. In general, tumours benefit from the immune system's tolerance. This is one of the reasons why cancer is so difficult to treat.

Decoding the behaviour of dendritic cells

How do dendritic cells identify the signals they associate with antigens? Caetano Reis e Sousa’s research may be very close to answering this question. The researcher has been studying these cells closely for many years. He is particularly interested in the internal mechanisms of antigen processing by dendritic cells. He thus dissects the signalling pathways that control the various functions of dendritic cells. Since establishing his own laboratory, he has already characterized several activation pathways for these key immune system cells.

The Foundation's support

Supported by the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller, this project could change the future of cancer treatment. Advancing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of antigen processing will help unlock the secrets to activating or deactivating dendritic cells, making them the weapon of choice in therapeutic treatment. Caetano Reis e Sousa’s team recently discovered a receptor on the surface of dendritic cells that is specifically associated with cells killed by a form of cell death called necrosis. This receptor could be used to manipulate the immune response, thus preventing inflammatory reactions or inducing tumour rejection.

Caetano Reis e Sousa in a few words

Caetano Reis e Sousa first began studying dendritic cells as part of his PhD thesis. At that time, these sentinel cells were known for their ability to trigger the adaptive immune response, but the scientific community did not believe that they could phagocytose antigens. Caetano Reis e Sousa demonstrated that dendritic cells found in the skin are in fact able to phagocytose microbial particles.

While conducting post-doctoral research with Ron Germain at the NIH, and subsequently in his own laboratory, he has continued to delve deeper into his favourite subject. Together with his team, he discovered a marker for dendritic cells which increase cross-presentation of antigens, raising hope that, in the future, therapies will be developed based on these cells.

  • 1992 DPhil in Immunology, Oxford University (UK)

  • 1993 Postdoctoral Fellowship at the National Institute of Allergology and Infectious Disease and the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda (USA)

  • 1998 Head of the Immunology Laboratory, Cancer Research UK, London (UK)

  • 2008 Liliane Bettencourt Prize for Life Sciences

Liliane Bettencourt Prize for Life Sciences

The Liliane Bettencourt Prize for Life Sciences rewards each year a researcher under the age of 45 for the excellence of their work and their remarkable contribution to their field of scientific research. This prize is awarded, depending on the year, to a researcher based in France or working in another European country. Thirty winners have been awarded since 1997. From 2023, prize rewards the laureate up to 100,000 euros.

All the award-winners