
The pleiotropic C-type lectin MGL and its dual role in shaping anti-tumor immunity
Sandra van Vliet, Amsterdam UMC/location VUMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Hosts: Filipa Marcelo, UCIBIO-NOVA
ZOOM link: https://ucibio.pt/l/GuestSeminars
Abstract:
Glycans play a crucial role in shaping adaptive immune responses. The recognition of glycans by glycan-binding receptors, such as the C-type lectins (CLRs), has illustrated their potent immune modulatory role and has implicated glycans not only in infectious diseases, but also revealed their extraordinary properties in tumor progression. We study how the “sugar blue print” is decoded by the immune system and how aberrant glycans orchestrate immune evasion during cancer. We have a particular focus on the dendritic cell-expressed CLR MGL (CLEC10A, CD301), which recognizes terminal N-acetylgalactosamine residues, such as the tumor-specific Tn antigen. A common paradigm for CLR signaling is that responses via an individual CLR can display enormous flexibility. Therefore, in our latest studies we explored the effect of five distinct MGL ligands on dendritic cell functionality. We could show that triggering of MGL induces a state of prolonged tolerance in the dendritic cells, reminiscent of their phenotype in tumors. Moreover, we could identify a set of core genes induced by all MGL ligands and found some evidence for glycan-specific immune modulation. Together our results emphasize that the impact of tumor-associated glycans on MGL signaling and anti-tumor immunity has a higher level of complexity than originally thought.
Short Bio:
Sandra Van Vielt is a specialist in glycomics, glycoimmunology, and oncology, with a unique track record combining glycobiology, immunology, and cancer research. Trained as a biochemist and immunologist, she focused her PhD on the role of glycosylation and glycan-binding receptors in dendritic cell biology. She discovered the distinct carbohydrate recognition profile of the C-type lectin Macrophage Galactose-type Lectin (MGL), revealing its predictive value in cancer prognosis. Her research has led to new insights into tumor glycans' role in immune evasion, particularly through the modulation of immune responses. She has received prestigious grants, including the VENI, Dutch Cancer Society, and European (ITN) grants, and in 2017, was awarded the ASPASIA scholarship from Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). Sandra is also the founder of the VUmc Women in Science Fund, which supports early-career female scientists.