Program Overview

Program Faculty

Samik Basu

Samik Basu, MD
Cabaletta Bio

Marco Ruella, MD

Marco Ruella, MD
University of Pennsylvania

Huji Xu

Huji Xu, MD, PhD
Naval Medical University, (NMU) and Tsinghua University

Program Summary

The free Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Virtual Summit on Autoimmunity and Immuno-oncology will highlight the emerging role of immunotherapies in treating autoimmune diseases. Expert faculty presenters will provide an overview of autoimmunity, the current state of knowledge of immunotherapies for autoimmune diseases, mechanisms of toxicities and their management in different patient populations, and areas of opportunity at the intersection of immuno-oncology (IO) and rheumatology. This open-door virtual event will educate immuno-oncologists on autoimmune disease and the regulation of the immune system, highlight opportunities for collaboration between the IO and rheumatology fields and provide insights for new targets and strategies for developing novel IO agents. 

Program Agenda

Autoimmunity and IO Virtual Summit

Wednesday, March 18th, 2026: 1–4 p.m. EDT
1–1:05 p.m.

Introduction
1:05–1:30 p.m.

Overview & Mechanisms of Action
Maximilian Konig, MD – Johns Hopkins University
1:30–1:55 p.m.

Clinical Results to Date
Nasheed M. Hossain, MD – University of Pennsylvania
1:55–2:20 p.m.

Panel Q&A
2:20–2:40 p.m.

Break
2:40–3:05 p.m.

Toxicities
Andreas Mackensen, MD – Friedrich Alexander -Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
3:05–3:30 p.m.

Future Directions
TBD
3:30–3:55 p.m.

Panel Q&A
3:55–4 p.m.

Closing Remarks

Program Details

Problem Statement

Cancer and autoimmune diseases represent two types of immune dysregulation. While cancer represents the inability of the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells, autoimmune diseases are characterized by a loss of self-tolerance, aberrant immune responses against healthy tissue, and chronic inflammation. Both fields address the complexities of the immune system, and the characterization of pathways involved in autoimmunity has shaped the development of cancer immunotherapies and vice versa.

Recent clinical data suggest a potential role for B cell-targeting CAR T cells and bispecifics, immunotherapies that have revolutionized the treatment of hematologic malignancies, in treating B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. As more discoveries and breakthroughs occur, more efforts are needed to explore the intersection of immuno-oncology and rheumatology and to develop and optimize immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmunity. 

The SITC Virtual Summit on Autoimmunity and Immuno-oncology will provide an up-to-date overview of autoimmunity, emerging research on immunotherapy for autoimmune diseases, and the potential impact of this work on immuno-oncology (IO) and rheumatology. Didactic presentations and dedicated time for Q&A will identify clinical and translational strategies, challenges, and opportunities at the intersection of rheumatology and immuno-oncology, educating all attendees about this quickly advancing field, building collaborations, and empowering researchers and clinicians in the fields of IO and rheumatology to design more effective immunotherapies and treatment strategies that minimize toxicities and mount effective and durable responses. 

Target Audience

The SITC Virtual Summit on Autoimmunity and Immuno-oncology aims to reach basic, translational, and clinical immuno-oncology researchers in academia and industry who are interested in the intersection of IO and rheumatology and/or B-cell-directed therapies. Bringing together experts in the field will undoubtedly accelerate the exploration of new targets in immuno-oncology drug development and the use of immunotherapy to treat autoimmune diseases, informing and positively impacting patient care in oncology and rheumatology. 

Program Goals & Objectives

The primary objective of the SITC Virtual Summit on Autoimmunity and Immuno-oncology is to educate the immuno-oncology (IO) community on autoimmune diseases and current IO-based approaches, such as CAR T cells and bispecifics, to treat autoimmune diseases. Secondary goals include highlighting recent advances, challenges and opportunities and at the intersection of rheumatology and IO, building new collaborations between the rheumatology and IO fields, advancing the use of immunotherapy for autoimmune diseases and exploring strategies to develop more targeted, more effective and safer immunotherapies for cancer and for autoimmune diseases. 

The SITC Virtual Summit on Autoimmunity and Immuno-oncology will address the following questions: 

  • How does dysregulation of the immune system lead to autoimmune diseases? 

  • What is the scientific rationale underlying the use of CAR T cells or bispecifics to treat B cell-mediated inflammatory diseases? 

  • How do immunotherapy-based toxicities differ in patients with autoimmune diseases compared to patients with cancer, and how are best practices for toxicity management different? 

  • How can the fields of rheumatology and immuno-oncology collaborate to optimize immunotherapies and treatment strategies for autoimmune diseases and cancer?