FRIPRO funding for a new frontier in cancer immunoediting
On June 10, 2025, the Research Council of Norway announced funding for new projects in the FRIPRO scheme. Of the 3 awarded projects to the UiB, CCBIO Postdoc Harsh Dongre in Dana Costea's group received 3-year project support with international mobility.
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Harsh receives NOK 4,8 million for the project "Disrupting Neuropilin-2 mediated Immunosuppression: A New Frontier in Cancer Immunoediting."听
The immune system plays a double-edged role in cancer鈥攊t can destroy emerging cancer cells but also shape their evolution in ways that help tumors escape detection. This complex interaction, known as cancer immunoediting, involves both protective and harmful effects. While cutting-edge treatments like immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive T cell therapy have revolutionized cancer care, some cancers, such as pancreatic cancer and head and neck cancer, remain stubbornly resistant.
Recent research points to a molecule called neuropilin-2 (NRP2) as a potential game-changer. Early studies suggest that NRP2 helps regulate the activity of CD4+ T cells, a key type of immune cell. When NRP2 is removed or blocked, these T cells become more active and inflammatory, leading to slower tumor growth in mouse models of pancreatic and head and neck cancers.
Even more intriguing, interrupting the interaction between NRP2 and its binding partner, Semaphorin-3F (SEMA3F), not only boosts T cell proliferation but also reduces the likelihood of tumors forming in the first place. These results suggest that the SEMA3F/NRP2 pathway may act as a brake on the immune system, limiting the ability of CD4+ T cells to fight cancer.
The core idea is simple but powerful: by targeting NRP2 in immune cells, it may be possible to unleash the body鈥檚 natural defenses, even against cancers that don鈥檛 usually respond to current immunotherapies.
Congratulations to Harsh!听
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