Rate My Professor Delia Nelson

Nelson's research investigates how the tumour microenvironment modulates innate and adaptive immune responses, with particular emphasis on the effects of ageing, chemotherapy, immunotherapies, gene therapies, and vascular targeting agents on immune cell function. Her work centers on macrophages, dendritic cells, T cells, and their roles in cancer progression, especially mesothelioma. This includes studies on how ageing alters monocyte and macrophage populations, CSF-1 receptor expression, and tumour-associated macrophage expansion in murine mesothelioma models. Her laboratory's innovations have led to the formation of Selvax Immunology, commercializing immunological therapies developed over eight years under her leadership. Key publications include 'Does ageing modulate interactions between mesothelioma cells, macrophages, and tumour endothelial cells?' (2024), 'Ageing and its Role in Modulating Healthy and Tumour-Associated Macrophages' (2024), 'Prognostic role of immune environment in luminal B early breast cancer' (2023), 'The STING agonist, DMXAA, reduces tumor vessels and enhances mesothelioma tumor antigen presentation yet blunts cytotoxic T cell function in a murine model' (2022), 'Aging Leads to Increased Monocytes and Macrophages With Altered CSF-1 Receptor Expression and Earlier Tumor-Associated Macrophage Expansion in Murine Mesothelioma' (2022), 'Macrophage function in the elderly and impact on injury repair and cancer' (2021), and 'Microenvironment-Dependent Gradient of CTL Exhaustion in the AE17sOVA Murine Mesothelioma Tumor Model' (2020). With over 4,450 citations across 98 publications, her contributions significantly influence cancer immunology. Recent funding supports copper-binding drugs for mesothelioma therapy.