Prof Seth Coffelt

Immune Cells and Metastasis

Our lab focuses on a type of immune cell, called a gamma delta (gd) T cell. gd T cell refers to a variety of cell subsets with distinct properties and anatomical locations. There are gd T cell subsets that kill cancer cells and other subsets that promote cancer progression. Our lab has ongoing projects aimed at understanding when and where these diverse gd T cell subsets are important. We are exploring the involvement of gd T cells in breast, colon, liver, and pancreatic cancers. In 2025, our lab published one commentary, and we contributed data to two collaborative studies led by other labs. Toshi received funding from Tenovus Scotland and the Beatson Cancer Charity, and David received a grant from the Aileen Lynn Bequest Fund from the Royal College of Physicians Surgeons of Glasgow. We welcomed two new members to the lab: Elena and Ross.

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Biography

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Recent Publications

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Biography

Education and qualifications

2006: PhD, Interdisciplinary Program in Molecular & Cellular Biology, Tulane University, USA
2000: BA, Biology & Chemistry, Minors in Music & Global Studies, Drury University, USA

Appointments

2023–present: Professor, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow
2016–present: Senior Research Fellow/Beatson Associate, University of Glasgow
2011–2016: Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow with Karin de Visser, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, The Netherlands
2008–2011: Postdoctoral Research Associate with Claire Lewis, University of Sheffield, UK
2007–2008: Postdoctoral Fellow with Aline Scandurro, Tulane University, USA
2005–2007: Visiting Scientist with Frank Marini & Michael Andreeff, MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA
2005: Adjunct Professor, Drury University, USA

Honours and awards

British Association for Cancer Research AstraZeneca Young Scientist Frank Rose Award, 2018
Wellcome Trust Seed Award, 2017
Outstanding Staff Member Award, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 2014
Scholar-in-Training Award, AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research, 2013
Netherlands Cancer Institute Staff Evening Presenter, 2013
Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship for Career Development, 2011-2013
Exceptional Contribution Award, University of Sheffield, 2010
Top 10 Finalist for MedImmune’s Oncology Research Abstract Competition, 2009
Cancer Association of Greater New Orleans’ Student Grant, 2005

Current committee membership

Breast Cancer Now Grants Committee member

Funding

Breast Cancer Now, McNab, MRC, Pancreatic Cancer UK, Worldwide Cancer Research

Recent Publications

2026

Bolini L, Coffelt SB, Silva-Santos B, Wiest DL, Galluzzi L. γδ T cells and cancer. J Clin Invest. 2026;136(17).

Fercoq F, Cairns GS, Bridgeman VL, De Donatis M, Mackey JBG, Floerchinger A, McFarlane AJ, Secklehner J, Raffo-Iraolagoitia XL, Harrington M, McGarry L, Brownlie D, Whyte D, Arnott LWG, Nixon C, Wiesheu R, Kilbey A, Brown L, Al-Khalidi S, Norman JC, Roberts EW, Malanchi I, Blyth K, Coffelt SB, Carlin LM. Integrin-dependent neutrophil slowing reduces lung perfusion and supports metastasis in a model of breast cancer. Cell Rep. 2026;45(3):117101.

Hamilton DA, Karunakaran MM, Coffelt SB. γδ T cells BiTE back at small cell lung cancer. Cancer Cell. 2026.

Raffo-Iraolagoitia XL, McFarlane AJ, Laing S, Corbyn R, Arnott LWG, Fercoq F, McGarry L, Secklehner J, De Donatis M, Mackey JBG, Kruspig B, Wiesheu R, Hsieh YC, Shaw R, Rakovic K, Le Quesne J, Clark G, Nixon C, Miller C, Kirschner K, Bain CC, Murphy DJ, Coffelt SB, Carlin LM. Vγ1 γδ T cells steer airway macrophages toward a profibrotic response in an autochthonous lung cancer mouse model. Sci Adv. 2026;12(10):eadu8802.

2025

Mallu ACT, Coffelt SB. γδT cells and breast cancer: wicked allies. Trends Cancer. 2025.

Wang Z, Yang T, Lupo F, Behrens LM, Janssen A, Coffelt SB, Prinz I, Sandrock I, Ravens S. Partial Compensation of IL-17 Production by Vγ1 T Cells in the Absence of Vγ4 and Vγ6 T Cells. Eur J Immunol. 2025;55(9):e70061.

Whyte D, Fisher SL, McKenzie CGJ, Sumpton D, Dhayade S, Dornier E, Moore M, Novo D, Peters J, Wiesheu R, Gounis MD, Watt DM, Mackey JBG, McFarlane AJ, Fercoq F, Dehesa Caballero C, Redmond KL, Mitchell LE, Anderson E, Thomson G, Hedley A, Clark W, Leroi S, Dzierozynski LN, Apiz Saab JJ, Lewis CA, Muir A, Halbrook CJ, Strathdee D, Jackstadt R, Nixon C, Dunne P, Carlin LM, Macpherson IR, Roberts EW, Coffelt SB, Blyth K, Sansom OJ, Norman JC, Vande Voorde J, Clarke CJ. Uridine phosphorylase-1 supports metastasis by altering immune and extracellular matrix landscapes. EMBO Rep. 2025.

2024

Churchhouse AMD, Billard CV, Suzuki T, Pohl SÖ G, Doleschall NJ, Donnelly K, Nixon C, Arends MJ, Din S, Kirkwood K, Marques Junior J, Von Kriegsheim A, Coffelt SB, Myant KB. Loss of DOCK2 potentiates Inflammatory Bowel Disease-associated colorectal cancer via immune dysfunction and IFNγ induction of IDO1 expression. Oncogene. 2024.

Dawson A, Zarou MM, Prasad B, Bittencourt-Silvestre J, Zerbst D, Himonas E, Hsieh YC, van Loon I, Blanco GR, Ianniciello A, Kerekes Z, Krishnan V, Agarwal P, Almasoudi H, McCluskey L, Hopcroft LEM, Scott MT, Baquero P, Dunn K, Vetrie D, Copland M, Bhatia R, Coffelt SB, Tiong OS, Wheadon H, Zanivan S, Kirschner K, Helgason GV. Leukaemia exposure alters the transcriptional profile and function of BCR::ABL1 negative macrophages in the bone marrow niche. Nat Commun. 2024;15(1):1090.

Fercoq F, Cairns GS, Donatis MD, Mackey JBG, Floerchinger A, McFarlane A, Raffo-Iraolagoitia XL, Whyte D, Arnott LWG, Nixon C, Wiesheu R, Kilbey A, Brown L, Al-Khalidi S, Norman JC, Roberts EW, Blyth K, Coffelt SB, Carlin LM. Integrin inactivation slows down neutrophils congesting the pre-metastatic lung in a model of breast cancer. bioRxiv. 2024:2024.2003.2019.585724.

Wiesheu R, Edwards SC, Hedley A, Hall H, Tosolini M, Fares da Silva MGF, Sumaria N, Castenmiller SM, Wardak L, Optaczy Y, Lynn A, Hill DG, Hayes AJ, Hay J, Kilbey A, Shaw R, Whyte D, Walsh PJ, Michie AM, Graham GJ, Manoharan A, Halsey C, Blyth K, Wolkers MC, Miller C, Pennington DJ, Jones GW, Fournie JJ, Bekiaris V, Coffelt SB. IL-27 maintains cytotoxic Ly6C(+) γδ T cells that arise from immature precursors. EMBO J. 2024;43(14):2878-2907.

Lupo F, Coffelt SB. Stressed out neutrophils drive metastasis. Immunity. 2024(4):840-842.

Wiesheu R, Coffelt SB. From backstage to the spotlight: γδT cells in cancer. Cancer Cell. 2024;42(10):1637-1642.

2023

Edwards SC, Hedley A, Hoevenaar WHM, Wiesheu R, Glauner T, Kilbey A, Shaw R, Boufea K, Batada N, Hatano S, Yoshikai Y, Blyth K, Miller C, Kirschner K, Coffelt SB. PD-1 and TIM-3 differentially regulate subsets of mouse IL-17A-producing γδ T cells. J Exp Med. 2023;220:e20211431.

Laing S, Kruspig B, Shaw R, Officer-Jones L, Edwards S, McKinven D, Hsieh Y-C, Powley I, Brady N, Pennie R, Kwan R, Lima A, Myrta S, Periyasamy M, Dye IC, Nixon C, Clark G, Junttila MR, Maddalo D, Miller C, Ali S, Fuchter MJ, Nickles D, Kirschner K, Brown RB, Quesne JL, Strathdee D, Coffelt SB, Roberts E, Murphy DJ. ERBB signalling contributes to immune evasion in KRAS-driven lung adenocarcinoma. bioRxiv. 2023:2023.2007.2024.550274.

Suzuki T, Kilbey A, Casa Rodriguez N, Lawlor A, Georgakopoulou A, Hayman H, Yin Swe KL, Nordin A, Cantù C, Vantourout P, Ridgway RA, Byrne RM, Chen L, Verzi MP, Gay DM, Gil Vazquez E, Belnoue-Davis HL, Gilroy K, Kostner AH, Kersten C, Thuwajit C, Andersen DK, Wiesheu R, Jandke A, Blyth K, Roseweir AK, Leedham SJ, Dunne PD, Edwards J, Hayday A, Sansom OJ, Coffelt SB. β-catenin drives butyrophilin-like molecule loss and γδ T-cell exclusion in colon cancer. Cancer Immunology Research. 2023;11:1137-1155.

Quintana JF, Sinton MC, Chandrasegaran P, Lestari AN, Heslop R, Cheaib B, Ogunsola J, Ngoyi DM, Kuispond Swar NR, Cooper A, Mabbott NA, Coffelt SB, MacLeod A. γδ T cells control murine skin inflammation and subcutaneous adipose wasting during chronic Trypanosoma brucei infection. Nat Commun. 2023;14(1):5279.

Raffo-Iraolagoitia XL, McFarlane AJ, Kruspig B, Fercoq F, Secklehner J, Donatis MD, Mackey JBG, Wiesheu R, Laing S, Hsieh Y-C, Shaw R, Corbyn R, Nixon C, Miller C, Kirschner K, Bain CC, Murphy DJ, Coffelt SB, Carlin LM. γδ T cells impair airway macrophage differentiation in lung adenocarcinoma. bioRxiv. 2023:2023.2009.2014.557344.

Waldron JA, Kanellos G, Smith RCL, Knight JRP, Munro J, Alexandrou C, Vlahov N, Pardo-Fernandez L, Moore M, Gillen SL, Strathdee D, Stevenson D, Warrander FC, Gilroy K, Nixon C, Cadden B, Powley I, Officer-Jones L, Ballantyne F, Hay J, Pennel K, Edwards J, Campbell AD, Ridgway RA, Coffelt SB, Norman J, Quesne JL, Bushell M, Sansom OJ. eIF4A1 is essential for reprogramming the translational landscape of Wnt-driven colorectal cancers. bioRxiv. 2023:2023.2011.2010.566546.

Coffelt SB, Morton JP. LOXL2 in pancreatic tumourigenesis: the complexity of tumour-stromal crosstalk exemplified. Gut. 2023;72:221-222.

Coffelt SB, Suzuki T. The two sides of the γδ T cell coin. Nat Cancer. 2023.

Coffelt SB, Suzuki T. γδ T cells turn the tables on immune-evasive colon cancer. Med. 2023;4:141-142.

2022

Curio S, Edwards SC, Suzuki T, McGovern J, Triulzi C, Yoshida N, Jonsson G, Glauner T, Rami D, Wiesheu R, Kilbey A, Purcell RV, Coffelt SB, Guerra N. NKG2D signaling regulates IL-17A-producing γδT cells in mice to promote cancer progression. Discovery Immunology. 2022;1:kyac002.

Paterson K, Paterson S, Mulholland T, Coffelt SB, Zagnoni M. Assessment of CAR-T Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity in 3D Microfluidic Cancer Co-Culture Models for Combination Therapy. IEEE Open J Eng Med Biol. 2022;3:86-95.

van Wagensveld L, van Baal J, Timmermans M, Gaillard D, Borghuis L, Coffelt SB, Rosenberg EH, Lok CAR, Nijman HW, Kooreman LFS, Sanders J, de Bruijn M, Wessels LFA, van der Wiel R, Rausch C, Broeks A, Kruitwagen R, van der Aa MA, Sonke GS, Schouten PC, Van de Vijver KK, Horlings HM. Homologous Recombination Deficiency and Cyclin E1 Amplification Are Correlated with Immune Cell Infiltration and Survival in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer. Cancers (Basel). 2022;14.

Lawrence M, Wiesheu R, Coffelt SB. The duplexity of unconventional T cells in cancer. The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology. 2022;146:106213.

2021

Edwards SC, Hedley A, Hoevenaar WHM, Glauner T, Wiesheu R, Kilbey A, Shaw R, Boufea K, Batada N, Blyth K, Miller C, Kirschner K, Coffelt SB. Single-cell analysis uncovers differential regulation of lung γδ T cell subsets by the co-inhibitory molecules, PD-1 and TIM-3. bioRxiv. 2021.

Johnson SA, Ormsby MJ, Wessel HM, Hulme HE, Bravo-Blas A, McIntosh A, Mason S, Coffelt SB, Tait SWG, Mowat AM, Milling SWF, Blyth K, Wall DM. Monocytes mediate Salmonella Typhimurium-induced tumour growth inhibition in a mouse melanoma model. Eur J Immunol. 2021;14:5965.

Paterson K, Zanivan S, Glasspool R, Coffelt SB, Zagnoni M. Microfluidic technologies for immunotherapy studies on solid tumours. Lab Chip. 2021;21:2306-2329.

Edwards SC, Hoevenaar WHM, Coffelt SB. Emerging immunotherapies for metastasis. Br J Cancer. 2021;124:37-48.

McFarlane AJ, Fercoq F, Coffelt SB, Carlin LM. Neutrophil dynamics in the tumor microenvironment. J Clin Invest. 2021;131:ed2021.

2020

Dhayade S, Pietzke M, Wiesheu R, Tait-Mulder J, Athineos D, Sumpton D, Coffelt S, Blyth K, Vazquez A. Impact of Formate Supplementation on Body Weight and Plasma Amino Acids. Nutrients. 2020;12(8):2181.

Millar R, Kilbey A, Remak SJ, Severson TM, Dhayade S, Sandilands E, Foster K, Bryant DM, Blyth K, Coffelt SB. The MSP-RON axis stimulates cancer cell growth in models of triple negative breast cancer. Molecular Oncology. 2020;14:1868-1880.

Muthalagu N, Monteverde T, Raffo-Iraolagoitia X, Wiesheu R, Whyte D, Hedley A, Laing S, Kruspig B, Upstill-Goddard R, Shaw R, Neidler S, Rink C, Karim SA, Gyuraszova K, Nixon C, Clark W, Biankin AV, Carlin LM, Coffelt SB, Sansom OJ, Morton JP, Murphy DJ. Repression of the Type I Interferon pathway underlies MYC & KRAS-dependent evasion of NK & B cells in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancer Discovery. 2020;10:872-887.

Coffelt SB, Kabelitz D, Silva-Santos B, Kuball J, Born W, Bank I. Editorial: γδ T Cells in Cancer. Front Immunol. 2020;11:602411.

Edwards SC, Hoevenaar WHM, Coffelt SB. Emerging immunotherapies for metastasis. British Journal of Cancer. 2020;124:37-48.

Suzuki T, Hayman L, Kilbey A, Edwards J, Coffelt SB. Gut γδ T cells as guardians, disruptors, and instigators of cancer. Immunol Rev. 2020;298:198-217.

2019

Boire A, Coffelt SB, Quezada SA, Vander Heiden MG, Weeraratna AT. Tumour Dormancy and Reawakening: Opportunities and Challenges. Trends in Cancer. 2019;5:762-765.

Mackey JBG, Coffelt SB, Carlin LM. Neutrophil Maturity in Cancer. Frontiers in Immunology. 2019;10:1912.

Salvagno C, Ciampricotti M, Tuit S, Hau CS, van Weverwijk A, Coffelt SB, Kersten K, Vrijland K, Kos K, Ulas T, Song JY, Ooi CH, Ruttinger D, Cassier PA, Jonkers J, Schultze JL, Ries CH, de Visser KE. Therapeutic targeting of macrophages enhances chemotherapy efficacy by unleashing type I interferon response. Nat Cell Biol. 2019;21:511-21.

Silva-Santos B, Mensurado S, Coffelt SB. γδ T cells: pleiotropic immune effectors with therapeutic potential in cancer. Nature Reviews Cancer. 2019;19:392-404.

Wellenstein MD, Coffelt SB, Duits DEM, van Miltenburg MH, Slagter M, de Rink I, Henneman L, Kas SM, Prekovic S, Hau CS, Vrijland K, Drenth AP, de Korte-Grimmerink R, Schut E, van der Heijden I, Zwart W, Wessels LFA, Schumacher TN, Jonkers J, de Visser KE. Loss of p53 triggers WNT-dependent systemic inflammation to drive breast cancer metastasis. Nature. 2019;572:538-542.

2018

Kruspig B, Monteverde T, Neidler S, Hock A, Kerr E, Nixon C, Clark W, Hedley A, Laing S, Coffelt SB, Le Quesne J, Dick C, Vousden K, Martins CP, Murphy DJ. The ERBB network facilitates KRAS-driven lung tumorigenesis. Sci Transl Med. 2018;10:eaao2565.

2017

Carron EC, Homra S, Rosenberg J, Coffelt SB, Kittrell F, Zhang Y, Creighton CJ, Fuqua SA, Medina D, Machado HL. Macrophages promote the progression of premalignant mammary lesions to invasive cancer. Oncotarget 2017;8:50731-46.

Kersten K, Coffelt SB, Hoogstraat M, Verstegen NJM, Vrijland K, Ciampricotti M, Doornebal CW, Hau CS, Wellenstein MD, Salvagno C, Doshi P, Lips EH, Wessels LFA, de Visser KE. Mammary tumor-derived CCL2 enhances pro-metastatic systemic inflammation through upregulation of IL1β in tumor-associated macrophages. Oncoimmunology 2017;6:e1334744.

Rumney RMH, Coffelt SB, Neale TA, Dhayade S, Tozer GM, Miller G. PyMT-Maclow. A novel, inducible, murine model for determining the role of CD68 positive cells in breast tumor development. PLoS One 2017;12:e0188591.

van Baal J, Van de Vijver KK, Coffelt SB, van der Noort V, van Driel WJ, Kenter GG, Buist MR, Lok C. Incidence of lymph node metastases in clinical early-stage mucinous and seromucinous ovarian carcinoma: a retrospective cohort study. BJOG 2017;124:486-94.

Walton JB, Farquharson M, Mason S, Port J, Kruspig B, Dowson S, Stevenson D, Murphy D, Matzuk M, Kim J, Coffelt S, Blyth K, McNeish IA. CRISPR/Cas9-derived models of ovarian high grade serous carcinoma targeting Brca1, Pten and Nf1, and correlation with platinum sensitivity. Sci Rep 2017;7:16827.

2016

Coffelt SB, de Visser KE. Revving up dendritic cells while braking PD-L1 to jump-start the cancer-immunity cycle motor. Immunity 2016;44:722-4.

Coffelt SB, de Visser KE. Systemic inflammation: Cancer’s long-distance reach to maximize metastasis. Oncoimmunology 2016;5:e1075694.

Coffelt SB, Wellenstein MD, de Visser KE. Neutrophils in cancer: Neutral no more. Nat Rev Cancer 2016;16:431-46.

Rahat MA, Coffelt SB, Granot Z, Muthana M, Amedei A. Macrophages and neutrophils: Regulation of the inflammatory microenvironment in autoimmunity and cancer. Mediators Inflamm 2016;2016:5894347.