Pre-Conference Programs
Additional registration was required
Monday, Nov. 9, 2020
CAR T treatments have led to improved outcomes for patients with hematologic malignancies. However, the same level of success has not been achieved in most solid tumors, and other immune cell types beyond T cells are also being explored preclinically and clinically. This workshop highlighted the multitude of cellular therapy approaches being applied for the treatment of cancer, including many T cell strategies, alternative immune cells, practical considerations and novel technologies.
Throughout four didactic sessions led by experts in the field and participation in four engaging panel discussions, attendees discussed a number of topics, including:
- CAR T cell therapies
- Non-CAR T cell approaches, including TILs and TCRs
- Alternative immune cell therapies, such as with NK cells, B cells, and macrophages
- Novel technologies for translational cellular therapies
It is anticipated that the efforts of this workshop will fuel innovative collaborative efforts as well as the dissemination of knowledge throughout the field.
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While many patients with cancer are experiencing significant long-term benefits from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), the vast majority exhibit either primary or secondary (acquired) resistance to these therapies. The underlying mechanisms for the wide range of responses are not well understood, but are hypothesized to include both tumor cell-intrinsic and –extrinsic pathways. Before ICI resistant/relapsed patients can be properly managed, however, these underlying causes need to be elucidated, which will enable rational design of therapeutic options based on these mechanisms of resistance. Testing of therapies in this ICI-resistant population also presents unique questions, including defining resistance and proper clinical trial design strategies.
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