iCAN-TRIMM Seminar by Carlos Figueiredo

iCAN-TRIMM Seminar by Carlos Figueiredo

Uncovering New Biomarkers of Immunotherapy Response and Their Implications for Rational Immunotherapy Innovation

Bio: Dr Figueiredo is a biomedical scientist with a PhD in Immunology and Microbiology and is a Docent of Immunology. His research background includes drug and target discovery, cancer immune biology, and immunotherapy. His work focuses on uncovering new molecular pathways involved in how innate immunity shapes cancer immunosurveillance, with the aim of developing new experimental models and rational combinations that enhance anti-tumor immunity and durable responses to immunotherapies.

Publications related to the talk: 

• Koskela S, Pulkkinen O, Mehmood A, Kallionpää R, Birkman EM, Huuhtanen J, Mustjoki S, Coupland SE, Aittokallio T, Sundvall M, Figueiredo CR. Novel Anti-PD1 Predictive Signature and Functional Dendritic-Cell Biomarkers in Melanoma Identified with Systems Immunology. Research Square. 2026. (Preprint; in revision)
• Maranou E, Park G, Weinzettl P, Alanko J, Pulkkinen O, Coupland SE, Salmi M, Figueiredo CR. CD74 impairs tumor-antigen cross-presentation and CCR7-dependent dendritic cell migration in melanoma. bioRxiv. 2025. 2025.12.01.691518. (Preprint, in review) 
• Wang MM, Li YL, Ho CEH, Willie SSY, Coupland SE, Park G, Chan ASY, Figueiredo CR. Novel CRISPR-Cas9 BAP1 knockout pre-clinical tumor model recapitulates human melanoma tumorigenesis and immune evolution. Communications Biology. 2026 May 5;9(1):1094. doi: 10.1038/s42003-026-10118-x.
• Wang MM, Coupland SE, Aittokallio T, Figueiredo CR. Resistance to immune checkpoint therapies by tumour-induced T-cell desertification and exclusion: key mechanisms, prognostication and new therapeutic opportunities. British Journal of Cancer. 2023 Oct;129(8):1212-1224. doi: 10.1038/s41416-023-02361-4.