Title: Understanding the systems-level effects of imiquimod in basal cell carcinoma
Abstract: Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer in the United States. BCC is characterized as rarely invasive and typically easy to resect. However, BCC can be quite disfiguring and significantly affect quality of life. Imiquimod (brand name Aldara) is a topical immunotherapeutic indicated for use in non-resectable BCC. Imiquimod binds to TLR7, a receptor expressed by innate immune cells such as dendritic cells and macrophages, but the downstream effects of imiquimod on the tumor micro-environment (TME), including on different immune and epithelial cell subsets, remain unknown. We will explore the systems-level effects of imiquimod on the TME in a BCC mouse model using a combination of single cell RNA sequencing, tissue staining and mathematical analysis.