Ashley Ortenburg
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Anutosh Ganguly
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Surgery / Medicine
Program: UROPF
Session: Session 3 (11:00am – 11:50am)
Authors: Ashley Ortenburg, Anutosh Ganguly
Abstract
Background: Previous research has shown that histotripsy, a non-thermal ablation therapy, could serve as a potential non-invasive cancer treatment. Based on previous studies in our lab, we have found some evidence of there being an impact from histotripsy on the abscopal, or untreated side of the research model (opposite to the treated side). To determine the extent of these effects and whether these effects can be strengthened, our lab examined the tumors and lymph nodes of the abscopal side of the mice and compared them to the tumors and lymph nodes of treated side and to completely untreated (control) mice and by repeating the comparison with mice that have been treated with a lysate vaccine. Methods: All animal work was done in accordance with protocols and animal care and use guidelines approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees of the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and the University of Michigan. Mice (with and without the vaccine) were inoculated with cancer cells to form bilateral flank tumors and some of the mice were then treated with histotripsy on one side only. These tumors and lymph nodes were then analyzed using multicolor immunofluorescence. Results: We have found that levels of CD8+ and CXCR3+ cells are higher in the abscopal tumor than in the control tumor, but lower than the histotripsy treated side. Similarly, in the vaccine treated tumor and tumor draining lymph nodes have higher levels of CD8+ and CXCR3+ cells than the control models. Conclusions: Because the levels of CD8+ and CXCR3+ markers, which are used to measure the anticancer effects of histotripsy, are higher in the abscopal tumors and lymph nodes than the untreated tumors, while being lower than the directly treated tumors and lymph nodes, thus illustrating the significant impact of histotripsy on abscopal tumors. Similarly, in the vaccine treated models, the levels of CD8+ and CXCR3+ markers are significantly higher than in the non-vaccine treated models, thus alluding to the potential to create a vaccine that mimics the significant anticancer effects caused through the abscopal effect.
