Immune surveillance depends on the inherent ability of immune cells to migrate to different tissues and carry out immune-related functions. However, the physical characteristics (stiffness and stress) of tumours prohibit the effective infiltration by immune cells, a prerequisite for anti-tumour immune responses under normal conditions and following immunotherapy.

The EU-funded ICoMICS project proposes to develop a modelling approach capable of predicting how therapeutic immune cells migrate and interact with the tumour microenvironment. Researchers will employ 3D solid-tumour lung, liver and pancreas organoids that receive specific chemical modulators, and they will combine the generated data with information on tissue mechanics and cell interactions.

The ICoMICS platform will contribute to the improvement of immunotherapy outcomes.