Stress has long been associated with cancer. Psychosocial stress, which can be mediated by stress hormones, glucocorticoids, often lead to suppression of immune response. Thus, it is of particular interest how these links among cancer, stress, and immunity are formed for better understanding of the etiology and progression of cancer. Dr. Hong is particularly focusing on how early-life stress can affect the life-long immunity and cancer susceptibility. Early perinatal period is unique in establishing basal biological functions, which often maintained throughout lifetime.
Recently, Dr. Hong found that early life glucocorticoids exposure has long-term consequences in CD8 T cell function using mouse model. Exposure of stress hormone in early life, therefore, led to diminished anti-tumor immunity of CD8 T cells and make mice more susceptible to immunogenic tumor development. Hopefully, this work will lead to better assessment of early life risk factors for preventive medications for cancer.
Projects and Grants
Developmental programming of T cell immunity and cancer susceptibility
Yale University | All Cancers | 2019 | Ruslan Medzhitov, Ph.D.
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