Dr. Judith Agudo

Biography

Judith Agudo is an Assistant Professor in Immunology with a research focus on elucidating the mechanisms controlling immune privilege in tissue-resident stem cells and cancer stem cells. Her research investigates the role of stem cells in tissue homeostasis and regeneration, as well as the evolved mechanisms that allow these cells to cloak themselves from immune detection. Agudo's work aims to identify molecular pathways associated with immune privilege to develop therapeutic strategies that protect non-privileged cells from autoimmunity and inflammation. Given that cancer-related deaths primarily result from metastasis, she explores how specialized cancer stem cells acquire properties that resemble those of tissue stem cells, which enables them to escape from the primary tumor and disseminate to distal organs to form new tumors. A significant portion of her research is dedicated to understanding how cancer stem cells interact with the immune system to evade detection, with the ultimate goal of improving immunotherapy approaches to efficiently eliminate metastatic cancer cells. By investigating the complexities of stem cells and their role within the cancer immune landscape, Agudo aims to contribute valuable insight into regenerative medicine and cancer treatment strategies.

Research Interests