BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Sabre//Sabre VObject 4.5.8//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/Zurich X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/Zurich TZURL:http://tzurl.org/zoneinfo/Europe/Zurich BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:CEST DTSTART:19810329T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=-1SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:CET DTSTART:19961027T030000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=10;BYDAY=-1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:news1594@biomedizin.unibas.ch DTSTAMP;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251111T161845 DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251205T110000 SUMMARY:UBICO Guest Speaker: Dr. Nila Servaas DESCRIPTION:Dr. Nila Servaas - Department of Research\, Sanquin Blood Suppl y Foundation (Amsterdam\, The Netherlands)\\r\\nTitle: “Decoding the X F actor: How X Chromosome Inactivation Shapes Immune Function and Cancer Imm unity"\\r\\nAbstract:\\r\\nBiological sex is a fundamental variable shapin g immune responses\, cancer susceptibility\, and responses to immunotherap y. While hormonal influences have long been recognized\, emerging evidence highlights the X chromosome as a key driver of immune variation between m en and women. Many immune-related genes reside on the X chromosome\, and a substantial subset escapes X chromosome inactivation (XCI)\, leading to s ex-specific differences in gene dosage and immune regulation. My research explores how XCI dynamics influence T cell activation and exhaustion withi n the tumor microenvironment. Leveraging large-scale single-cell RNA seque ncing data from non– small cell lung cancer\, we uncovered pronounced se x differences in CD8⁺ T cell states\, with female exhausted T cells exhi biting higher expression of canonical exhaustion markers including LAG3\, and TOX. Module scoring revealed an inverse correlation between exhaustion signatures and XCI escapee gene expression\, suggesting that reduced esca pe from XCI may drive terminal T cell exhaustion. Complementary in vitro m odels and CRISPR-based perturbation experiments are underway to dissect ho w X-linked regulatory mechanisms contribute to T cell dysfunction and to t est whether modulating XCI escape can restore effector function. Together\ , these studies aim to uncover how chromosomal gene dosage shapes immune c ell behavior and to identify new molecular strategies to improve cancer im munotherapy in a sex-aware manner. X-ALT-DESC:

Dr. Nila Servaas - Department of Research\, Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation (Amsterdam\, The Netherlands)

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Titl e: “Decoding the X Factor: How X Chromosome Inactivation Shap es Immune Function and Cancer Immunity"

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Abstract:

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Biological sex is a fundamental variable shaping immune responses\, c ancer susceptibility\, and responses to immunotherapy. While hormonal infl uences have long been recognized\, emerging evidence highlights the X chro mosome as a key driver of immune variation between men and women. Many imm une-related genes reside on the X chromosome\, and a substantial subset es capes X chromosome inactivation (XCI)\, leading to sex-specific difference s in gene dosage and immune regulation. My research explores how XCI dynam ics influence T cell activation and exhaustion within the tumor microenvir onment. Leveraging large-scale single-cell RNA sequencing data from non– small cell lung cancer\, we uncovered pronounced sex differences in CD8 ⁺ T cell states\, with female exhausted T cells exhibiting higher expres sion of canonical exhaustion markers including LAG3\, and TOX. Module scor ing revealed an inverse correlation between exhaustion signatures and XCI escapee gene expression\, suggesting that reduced escape from XCI may driv e terminal T cell exhaustion. Complementary in vitro models and CRISPR-bas ed perturbation experiments are underway to dissect how X-linked regulator y mechanisms contribute to T cell dysfunction and to test whether modulati ng XCI escape can restore effector function. Together\, these studies aim to uncover how chromosomal gene dosage shapes immune cell behavior and to identify new molecular strategies to improve cancer immunotherapy in a sex -aware manner.

DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251205T120000 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR