Our body relies on specialized immune cells called dendritic cells to spot and fight cancer and harmful germs. These cells depend on a crucial protein known as galectin-9 to keep their machinery running smoothly. However, in skin and colon cancers, tumors manage to trick and disable these defenders by breaking down this galectin-9 pathway. When tumors sabotage this connection, they slip past our defenses and grow unchecked. Fortunately, recent findings show that repairing this damaged galectin-9 connection makes the dendritic cells functional again and restores our immune defenses.
About the PhD candidate
Andrea Rodgers Furones pursued biochemistry at the University of Barcelona. She then completed a Master’s in Molecular Mechanisms of Disease at Radboud University. Andrea transitioned into a PhD at Radboudumc, researching tumor immunology and galectin-9 interactions with dendritic cells. Today, she works in pharmaceutical communications, bridging science and clinicians from a therapeutic perspective.