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This 30-minute session will highlight two selected Late-breaking Abstracts who will each showcase their work in a 15-minute oral presentation.  

This fast-paced session will feature six oral presentations from select basic science abstracts with time for Q&A.  

This fast-paced session will feature six oral presentations from select clinical abstracts with time for Q&A. 

Coming Soon

Session Title: Microbiome: Ready for Prime Time in immuno-oncology?

In less than a decade, several discoveries propelled the gut microbiome from the dark matter to one of the “hallmarks of cancer”. Recent studies revealed that the baseline microbiome composition correlated with the anti-cancer response, the risk of immune-related toxicities and the development of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). This intricate relationship is linked through several mechanisms including microbiome-associated molecular patterns, cross-reactive antigens, bacterial metabolites and immune checkpoint expression.

Furthermore, harnessing the microbiome using fecal microbiota transplantation, probiotics and prebiotics demonstrated that shifting the microbiome composition can enhance immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) response and improve GVHD. In this session, we will focus on the development of user-friendly strategies to profile microbiome composition as a novel biomarker. We will review the ongoing strategies to improve the microbiome composition for patients amenable to ICI treatment or allogeneic stem cell transplantation. In sum, the aim of this session is to understand and review the mechanisms by which bugs can become new cancer drugs.

Natural Killer (NK) cells and Type 1 Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILCs) play a critical role in the innate immune response by detecting and destroying neoplastic cells independently of prior antigen exposure. Their therapeutic modulation represents an emerging frontier in cancer immunotherapy.

In this session at the SITC conference Dr. Marco Colonna will provide a detailed overview of ILCs, highlighting their potential in cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Rezvani will present on the engineering of NK cells, discussing the latest strategies and preclinical evidence that underscore the translation of this strategy to the clinic. Dr. Eric Vivier will present on the application of NK cell multi-specific engagers, focusing on their design, mechanism of action, and their evolving role in the targeted treatment of cancer. Each presentation aims not only to educate but also to encourage dialogue on how these innovations can be best integrated and optimized within current clinical frameworks.

Cancer immunotherapy has transformed cancer care over the past decade with more than 25 FDA approved medicines in the clinic. Immune activation focused novel modalities have demonstrated compelling efficacy and achieved regulatory approvals in hematologic malignancies over the past decade. Beyond the first wave T cell checkpoint blockade, developing next wave novel IO therapeutics in solid tumor have been challenging, but the tide has turned. 2024 is a breakthrough year for new and pending FDA approvals of both cell therapies and complex biologics in multiple solid tumor indications focusing on reinvigorating the anti-tumor immune response. In this session you will learn about the development and commercial launch of these exciting new immuno-oncology products including tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, T cell receptor engineered T cells, T cell engaging bispecific antibodies, next generation cytokines and more.

In humans, the immune component of the tumor microenvironment is likely shaped over many years. Tumor genetics and epigenetics, host genetics, and a lifetime of acute and chronic environmental exposures likely contribute to the immune composition of the tumor. These factors influence the natural history of the malignancy and its response to all forms of therapy including immune modulation. Recent data suggest that tumor immune microenvironments can be grouped into a limited number of phenotypes which could provide insights into pathogenesis and approaches to treatment. In this session, speakers will describe the spectrum of tumor immune microenvironments as revealed by analyses of histopathology, sequencing, and immune monitoring, characterizing commonalities and site-specific differences as they relate to the primary tumor site and/or site of metastases.

Cellular therapies offer great promise as a cancer therapy. They are living biological drugs, and often personalized, which gives them unique properties, characteristics, and great variability. These factors have made adhering to existing regulatory requirements challenging and requires significant collaboration and interactions with the FDA and other health authorities. Commercializing approved cellular therapies requires novel strategies for adoption, patient access, and cost. Though in early stages, new paradigms for manufacturing and delivery of autologous cell therapies, namely point of care manufacturing, have emerged that may reduce cost to manufacture and increase patient access. Collaboration with health authorities is critical for point of care manufacturing to have regulatory success. This session will first provide an update on SITC’s Release Criteria Summit. During the one-day virtual summit, topics include stakeholder feedback, summaries, current state, and future directions identified during the one-day virtual summit. The session will then expand upon some of the concepts discussed during the release criteria summit and we will hear about Iovance Biotherapeutics’s experience with regulatory approval of the first and only FDA-approved T cell therapy for a solid tumor indication. Finally, we will hear about how new manufacturing strategies are being developed to reduce costs and increase access for patients and discussion on regulatory perspectives. 

Cell and gene therapies have made a great breakthrough in the immuno-oncology field. Technological advances have created opportunities for genetically engineered immune cells to be “redirected” against tumor cells. As such, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells are now part of the routine clinical care for many hematological malignancies, but improvements are still needed. A better understanding of the mechanisms of action and the progress in molecular interventions are paving the way for the development of new generations of cellular immunotherapies. Innovative engineering methods will certainly lead to next-generation cell therapies with enhanced efficacy and/or reduced toxicity, notably for targeting low antigen-expressing tumors and solid cancers. This session will focus on genome and protein engineering strategies to optimize cell therapies for hematological and solid tumors.

This Session will explore how the underlying biology of combination therapies in solid tumors and how those combinations may change and overcome specific mechanisms of resistance to immune therapy in a spectrum of malignancies. The Session also aims to discuss provocative questions concerning novel combination immunotherapeutic development armed with a deeper biological understanding of how rational combinations and sequences of therapies can overcome specific resistance mechanisms, attendees will be equipped to design effective clinical trials leading to better patient outcomes.

Selected abstracts will be presented in 10-15 minute oral presentations. 

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The official start of the second full day begins with a welcome from one of the Organizers behind the Annual Meeting programming. 

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Genomic instability is a core feature of cancer evolution, but beyond tumor-intrinsic effects, it can also contribute to pro- or anti-tumor immune responses. Genomic instability leading to DNA damage and mutations increase the potential neoantigen burden and may therefore contribute positively to anti-tumor immunity. By contrast, chromosomal instability may lead to chronic activation of innate and adaptive immune pathways, ultimately mediating immune evasion by tumor cells. This session will focus on the role of understanding chromosomal instability in cancer evolution in the clinic, and then dive into the mechanistic underpinnings of how chromosomal instability and chronic interferon signaling may facilitate immune evasion and resistance to current immunotherapies. 

This 30-minute session will highlight two selected Late-breaking Abstracts who will each showcase their work in a 15-minute oral presentation.  

This fast-paced session will feature six oral presentations from select basic science abstracts with time for Q&A.  

This fast-paced session will feature six oral presentations from select clinical abstracts with time for Q&A. 

Coming Soon

Explore the different roles CD4+ T cells play in tumor immunity. Topics will include antigen recognition, regulatory T cells, and the importance of CD4+ CAR T cells.

This session delves into the critical role of lymphodepletion as a preparatory step in adoptive T-cell therapies. The speakers will explore the foundations, current practices, and future directions of lymphodepletion strategies to optimize the efficacy of T-cell administration in cancer treatment. Dr. Goff will provide an insightful overview of lymphodepletion, sharing her extensive experience with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and early CAR-T. This talk will highlight key clinical outcomes and lessons learned from pioneering treatments at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Ruella will discuss the specific applications of lymphodepletion in CAR-T and TCR-engineered T-cell therapies. His presentation will cover the practical aspects of patient preparation, focusing on optimizing treatment efficacy and patient safety. Dr. Paulos will delve into the mechanistic insights and the importance of preclinical models in understanding lymphodepletion. Her talk aims to bridge the gap between laboratory findings and clinical applications, providing a robust scientific foundation. Lastly, the panel discussion will explore emerging strategies and innovations designed to enhance the safety and effectiveness of lymphodepletion. The session will examine potential advancements that could revolutionize how patients are prepared for adoptive T-cell therapies. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of the various facets of lymphodepletion, including current techniques, challenges, and innovative approaches on the horizon. This session is designed for clinicians, researchers, and healthcare professionals involved in the field of cancer immunotherapy, offering critical insights that could shape future treatment protocols.

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Selected abstracts will be presented in 10-15 minute oral presentations. 

Myeloid cells are a major component of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and can promote tumor progression and resistance to immunotherapy; conversely, they can also contribute to anti-tumor responses. This program will explore the opposing roles (ie the Yin and Yang) of myeloid cells. This program will explore the recent advances in the field including underlying biology and diversity of myeloid cells, myeloid signaling pathways, regulation of myeloid cells and therapeutic approaches to target myeloid cells in immuno-oncology. The session aims to bring the field together to educate and promote myeloid cell targeting with the overall goal of making the TME more permissive and expanding tumor specific T cells. This session is relevant to basic, translational, and clinical researchers and physicians and will provide an overview of the diversity, functions and therapeutic targeting of myeloid cells in cancer. 

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Selected abstracts will be presented in 10-15 minute oral presentations. 

TBA

The official start of the last day begins with a welcome from one of the Organizers behind the Annual Meeting programming

New single cell spatial pathology technologies are enabling a better understanding of the tumor microenvironment and how immune cells interact with cancer cells in response or resistance to cancer immunotherapies. The analysis of patient biopsy samples at unprecedented multidimensionality and resolution uncovers new biology and better understanding of how the immune system can treat cancer. In this session, two invited speakers that are at the forefront of the field will present analyses of patient biopsies, and three proffered speakers will be invited from the submitted abstracts that are thematically aligned with the session, followed by an expert discussion of the three oral presentations.

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