President's Message

It’s been an exciting year for SITC and the cancer immunology and immunotherapy community! New initiatives and ground breaking research have opened up new horizons in the research and development of cancer patient treatment options. As 2011 winds down and we prepare to welcome 2012, I thought we could take a look back and celebrate some of the major milestones that have taken place in our field and within the Society over the course of the past year –

March
· Ipilimumab approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
· Peginterferon alfa-2b approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

May
· Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network (CITN) member sites selected

June
· Cancer immunotherapy took center stage at ASCO

September
· SITC partnered with the largest clinical oncology professional organization in China, the 
  Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) and the Chinese American Hematologist 
  Oncologist Network (CAHON) for the 2011 SITC-CSCO-CAHON Joint Symposium

November
· The SITC 26th Annual Meeting & Associated Programs posts a record breaking attendance - 794 attendees
· Execution begins on the SITC 2012-2015 Strategic Plan

As our field continues to grow it’s with great anticipation that I look forward to the many exciting new projects SITC has planned for the year 2012. Please watch for these developments in the months to come. Also please be sure to “check” out the video and photos in this month’s newsletter below.

Happy Holidays,


Thomas F. Gajewski, MD, PhD
SITC President
 

SITC in Action

SITC Regional Primers

SITC will host two regional primers in Chicago, IL in 2012

The SITC Primer on Tumor Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy™ will take place at the Swissôtel Chicago from 8:00am-5:30pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012, leading into the Clinical Immunology Society (CIS) Annual Meeting which will take place May 17-20, 2012. Co-Organizers are Michael T. Lotze, MD from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Hideho Okada, MD, PhD from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and Crystal L. Mackall, MD from the National Cancer Institute.

The SITC Primer on Tumor Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy™ From Biology to Treatment will take place at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place from 8:00am-1:00pm on Friday, June 1, 2012, leading into the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting which will take place June 1-5, 2012. Co-Organizers are Walter J. Urba, MD, PhD from Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Center and Kim Margolin, MD from the Seattle Cancer Alliance.

Understanding of tumor immunobiology has increased dramatically in recent years, leading to the successful development of new immune-based treatment options to improve cancer outcomes. The SITC Primer on Tumor Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy™ is designed to provide a foundation for understanding core immunology principles as they relate to basic and clinical research in immunotherapy of cancer. The audience for this one-day educational program will include students, post-doctoral fellows, and technicians from academia and industry as well as physicians and scientists at more senior levels who wish to solidify their understanding of tumor immunology and immunotherapy.

Prominent investigators will summarize central themes and recent research in tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy. These topics will be addressed in a series of lectures by thought leaders in the field and through interactive question and answer discussions.

For more information on the SITC Primers, including how to register, click on the links above or visit the SITC website.

Critical Hurdles Paper Published

Since 2008 SITC has hosted a Collaborations Summit in conjunction with its Annual Meetings. These summits were organized by SITC in an effort to facilitate effective collaboration to accelerate delivery of new immunotherapies to patients with cancer regardless of where they live, and is comprised of domestic and international organizations that are similarly interested in promoting research and translation of cancer immunotherapy. In an effort led by SITC Immediate Past President, Bernard Fox, PhD, the organizations prepared a joint publication that defines critical hurdles in cancer immunotherapy. This manuscript was recently published in preliminary form in the Journal of Translational Medicine. SITC would like to congratulate the authors and the participating organizations for their efforts in defining these hurdles and advancing clinical immunotherapy strategies to improve cancer outcomes. To access the manuscript, click here.

Community Update

SITC would like to welcome the following new members for the month of November:  
                                         
• Sylvia Adams, MD
• Gheath Alatrash, PhD
• Joshua Brody, MD
• Marka Crittenden, MD, PhD
• Joseph Grosso, PhD
• Massimo Guidoboni, MD
• Maria N. Jure-Kunkel, PhD
• Michelle R. Kuhne
• Solomon Langermann, PhD
• Linda N. Liu, PhD
• Taha Merghoub, PhD
• Brian Olson, PhD
• Benjamin Ospino Caliz, MD
• Donald W. Russell, MD, MS
• Andrew Zeitlin

SITC Highlights

Now LIVE on the SITC Website – Highlights from the SITC 26th Annual Meeting & Associated Programs

Visit the SITC website to view presentations, abstracts, photos and award winners from the SITC 26th Annual Meeting & Associated Programs.

SITC Celebrates with The Checkpoints

The SITC house band "The Checkpoints" helped celebrate a highly successful SITC 26th Annual Meeting with a performance at the Presidential Reception. Check out photos and this video of the performance.

Thank You SITC Supporters

SITC would like to thank the supporters of the various Society programs and projects in 2011 for their generous educational support. The support we receive is essential for the Society to continue providing high-caliber educational programs and projects centered around cancer immunotherapy for members and other professionals in the field.

• Amgen
• BioSante Pharmaceuticals
• Bristol-Myers Squibb
• Celgene
• Celldex Therapeutics
• Center for Cancer Research,
   National Cancer Institute,
   National Institutes of Health,
   Health and Human Services
• Dendreon
• EMD Serono
• Genentech Biooncology
• Immatics
• Immuneering Corporation
• MedImmune
• Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
• Prometheus Therapeutics & Diagnostics
• Provectus
• Ziopharm Oncology, Inc.
 

Save the Date for SITC 2012!

SITC Workshop: Focus on the Target: The Tumor Microenvironment - October 24-25, 2012
Organizers:
• Samual Silverstein, MD
• Jerome Galon, PhD
• Leisha Emens, MD, PhD

SITC Primer on Tumor Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy - October 25, 2012
Organizers:
• Mario Sznol, MD
• Charles Drake, MD, PhD

SITC Annual Meeting - October 26-28, 2012
Organizers:
• David Stoncek, MD
• Antoni Ribas, MD
• Cornelis J.M. Melief, MD, PhD

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