Webinar: Modeling T Cell Dysfunction in Tumor Microenvironments
Time: 10:00 AM EDT, September 1, 2026
The tumor microenvironment (TME) represents a complex ecosystem where cancer cells, immune cells, metabolites, and environmental factors interact to regulate anti-tumor immunity and therapeutic outcomes.
As tumors progress, they establish metabolically challenging environments characterized by nutrient depletion, accumulation of immunosuppressive metabolites, and altered signaling conditions that can impair immune cell function. These metabolic pressures contribute to T cell dysfunction, immune evasion, and reduced effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies.
Join Creative Biolabs for an exclusive webinar featuring Greg M. Delgoffe, Ph.D., Professor of Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh, Associate Director for Basic Research and Director of the Tumor Microenvironment Center at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.
In this webinar, Dr. Delgoffe will discuss approaches for modeling tumor microenvironments in preclinical research systems, beginning with metabolically distinct tumor models and progressing toward defined immunologic and metabolic stress conditions. He will highlight how these models can help uncover mechanisms driving T cell dysfunction and identify new opportunities to improve cancer immunotherapy.
Why Attend?
The tumor microenvironment plays a central role in shaping immune responses and determining the success of cancer immunotherapies. Understanding how metabolic conditions within tumors affect immune cell behavior is essential for developing more effective therapeutic strategies.
Traditional models may not fully capture the complex interactions between tumor metabolism and immune regulation. Advanced tumor microenvironment models provide researchers with valuable tools to investigate immune suppression, T cell dysfunction, and therapeutic response under more physiologically relevant conditions.
This webinar will provide insights into how immunometabolism research can help reveal new mechanisms of immune regulation and support the development of next-generation cancer therapies.
What You Will Learn
During this webinar, you will learn:
- How tumor metabolic environments contribute to immune suppression and T cell dysfunction
- Strategies for modeling tumor microenvironment conditions in preclinical research systems
- How metabolically distinct tumors can reveal mechanisms of immune evasion
- How nutrient depletion and toxic metabolic byproducts influence T cell function
- The mechanisms underlying T cell exhaustion and regulatory immune cell support within tumors
- How immunometabolism insights can guide strategies to enhance cancer immunotherapy
- Opportunities for applying tumor microenvironment models in translational immuno-oncology research
Who Should Attend?
This webinar is especially relevant for:
- Cancer immunology researchers studying tumor immunity and immune suppression
- Scientists working in immunotherapy, T cell biology, and immunometabolism
- Researchers developing immune checkpoint therapies and combination cancer treatments
- Pharmaceutical and biotechnology professionals involved in oncology drug discovery and development
- Scientists interested in tumor microenvironment modeling and translational immuno-oncology research
- R&D teams exploring advanced preclinical models to better understand immune–tumor interactions
Featured Speaker
Greg M. Delgoffe, Ph.D.
Professor of Immunology
University of Pittsburgh
Associate Director for Basic Research
Director, Tumor Microenvironment Center
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Dr. Greg M. Delgoffe is a Professor of Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh and a leading researcher in cancer immunology and immunometabolism. His laboratory investigates how metabolic signals regulate immune cell function, with a particular focus on how T cells become dysfunctional within the tumor microenvironment.
His research explores the mechanisms driving T cell exhaustion, regulatory immune cell function, and metabolic adaptation in cancer, with the goal of identifying new strategies to enhance cancer immunotherapy. By integrating immunology, metabolism, and cancer biology, his work has contributed to the development of novel immunotherapeutic approaches and metabolic interventions.
Dr. Delgoffe received his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed postdoctoral training at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He has been recognized as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher in Immunology and has received multiple awards, including the NIH Director's New Innovator Award and the Cancer Research Institute's Lloyd J. Old STAR Award.
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