Cancer Discussion Group
The New York Academy of Sciences
eBriefing 
Cancer Immunotherapy: Advances in Combination Therapies
Reported by
Posted July 22, 2020
Presented By
Immunotherapy, which harnesses the immune system to target and attack cancer cells, has emerged as a revolutionary approach to cancer treatment. Despite its effectiveness for a wide range of cancers, eligibility for treatment is dependent on the patient’s immune system, age, and genetic profile, as well as how advanced the cancer is and whether it has responded to prior treatment. Current research aims to improve treatment strategies and better predict patient outcomes. On May 11-12, 2020, the New York Academy of Sciences hosted the annual Frontiers in Cancer Immunotherapy symposium. Experts in tumor immunology, cancer genetics, and computational biology discussed novel therapeutic targets, tumor evolution, and the mechanisms driving resistance to current treatment. Learn about the latest research advances in cancer immunotherapy in this summary.
Symposium Highlights
- Computational neoantigen model predicts cancer patient outcomes. >
- Combination immunotherapy produces new T cells that extend patient survival. >
- Personalized cancer vaccines demonstrate therapeutic benefits. >
- New computational genomics tools provide pediatric cancer insight. >
- Immune checkpoint inhibitor associated toxicity yields new clinical syndrome. >
- Macrophage reprogramming can halt metastatic cancer progression. >
- Immune cell “neighborhoods” are altered during cancer progression. >
- Multi-specific CAR T cell therapy may reduce immunotherapy resistance. >
Toxicity, Tumor Response, and Microenvironment