Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential for keeping the immune system in check, however, in cancer, these cells can also suppress the body’s natural ability to fight tumors, making it harder for cancer treatments to work. Understanding the elements that control Treg function and adaptability is critical to developing drugs that selectively target tumor-infiltrating Tregs without disrupting their essential role in the rest of the body.

Dr. Samira Ghazali will add to this knowledge-base by using an advanced technique called DAF-sequencing, which maps the molecular switches (called transcription factors, or TFs) that control Tregs. She will compare Tregs from healthy tissues and tumors in mice and identify key differences in TFs. She will also investigate the role of FoxP3, a protein that plays a major role in Treg function, but whose exact role is still unclear. “Our research will provide new insights into how Tregs are controlled at the molecular level, opening the door to more precise and effective cancer treatments,” she explains.

Dr. Ghazali’s passion for computational immunology is both academic and personal. “This interest may have been shaped by my childhood experiences. In many ways, merging my love for computational sciences with a desire to contribute to medical research was a natural path,” she says. Her PhD work integrated transcriptomic and epigenomic datasets to study CD4+ T-cell differentiation, uncovering novel genetic elements that help maintain T-cell identity. Dr. Ghazali is now investigating the transcriptional regulation of Tregs in tumors, using advanced genomic tools to inform new cancer immunotherapy strategies.

Sponsor

Christophe Benoist, MD, PhD

Research Focus

Regulatory T cells, transcription factors, immune regulation

Projects and Grants

Deciphering transcription factor networks governing Treg identity and function in homeostasis and cancer