Ana Anderson

Ana Carrizosa Anderson
Born	Bogotá
Alma mater	Harvard University University of Miami
Scientific career
Institutions	Harvard University
Thesis	T cell cross-reactivity in the selection and expansion of the autoreactive T cell repertoire  (1999)
Website	Ana Anderson Lab

Ana Carrizosa Anderson is a Colombian-American microbiologist who is a professor at the Harvard Medical School. Her research combines transcriptomics and systems biology to understand T-cell response to chronic disease.

Early life and education

Anderson was born in Bogotá. ^[1] She grew up in Miami, and eventually attended the University of Miami. Anderson studied microbiology and immunology as an undergraduate degree. ^[2] She moved to Harvard University for her doctoral research, where she studied T cell cross reactivity. ^{[3] [4]}

Research and career

Anderson looks to understand the pathways that are involved with T cell response to chronic disease. She has explored the role of regulatory T cells in cancer, and the specific effector T cells in tumor tissue. ^[5] Her research combines mass cytometry, transcriptomics, and genome editing. Checkpoint receptors regulate the activation, differentiation and function of T-cells. They are up-regulated (e.g. increases response) on activated T cells to mitigate for uncontrolled inflammation. Immune checkpoint receptors are hijacked in cancer, where their high rates of expression on tumor T cells hampers the anti-tumor response. Anderson has investigated TIM-3, an immune checkpoint receptor that is involved with immunity to tumors. ^[2] The blockade of immune checkpoint receptors is a recognized form of cancer treatment. Anderson is interested in how TIM-3 is involved with regulating tumor tissue immune cells, and understanding how the blockade impacts immune cell function in the tumor microenvironment. ^[3]

Anderson uses transcriptomics technologies and systems biology to understand dysfunctional T-cells.^{[ citation needed ]}

Anderson looks to understand the function of Treg in tumor tissue. CD4⁺FoxP3⁺ Treg are immunosuppressive cells that suppress anti-tumor immunity. Inside tumor cells, Treg cells up-regulate checkpoint receptors and are major suppressors of anti-tumor immunity. The Treg cells that infiltrate tumor tissue up-regulate immune checkpoint receptors and have a highly suppressive phenotype.^{[ citation needed ]}

Selected publications

• Chen Zhu; Ana C Anderson; Anna Schubart; et al. (December 2005). "The Tim-3 ligand galectin-9 negatively regulates T helper type 1 immunity". Nature Immunology . 6 (12): 1245–52. doi:10.1038/NI1271. ISSN   1529-2908. PMID   16286920. Wikidata   Q28281686.
• Kaori Sakuishi; Lionel Apetoh; Jenna M Sullivan; Bruce R Blazar; Vijay K Kuchroo; Ana C Anderson (6 September 2010). "Targeting Tim-3 and PD-1 pathways to reverse T cell exhaustion and restore anti-tumor immunity". Journal of Experimental Medicine . 207 (10): 2187–2194. doi:10.1084/JEM.20100643. ISSN   0022-1007. PMC   2947065 . PMID   20819927. Wikidata   Q34161493.
• Ana C Anderson; Nicole Joller; Vijay K Kuchroo (1 May 2016). "Lag-3, Tim-3, and TIGIT: Co-inhibitory Receptors with Specialized Functions in Immune Regulation". Immunity . 44 (5): 989–1004. doi:10.1016/J.IMMUNI.2016.05.001. ISSN   1074-7613. PMC   4942846 . PMID   27192565. Wikidata   Q38837469.

References

1. "ACA LAB". ACA LAB. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
2. "Ana Anderson – CSHL WiSE" . Retrieved 2024-08-12.
3. "Ana Anderson". @broadinstitute. 2019-01-23. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
4. "Ana C. Anderson - Committee Member at The Brigham And Women's Hospital, Inc". THE ORG. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
5. "Cancer Immunology Program - The Gene Lay Institute". 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2024-08-12.