Immunoprevention Virtual Summit

SITC Immunoprevention Virtual Summit

#SITCresearchsolutions

The SITC Immunoprevention Virtual Summit was held on April 3, 2023 and highlighted the opportunities and limitations in cancer interception and immunoprevention and served as a platform to advocate for the widespread need for preventative methods and research. This open-door virtual educational event presented the state of the field and included participation of the stakeholders involved in this research including funding agencies, academic researchers, the FDA, and industry.

Summit Overview

Program Summary

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) held the Immunoprevention Virtual Summit on Monday, April 3, from 12–5 p.m. EDT. The summit was a free, public event that featured expert panel discussions, invited speakers, and attendee question and answer periods. The multi-stakeholder virtual summit featured over 25 panelists representing funding agencies, academic researchers, the FDA, and industry. 

Open access to the summit recording can be found here. 

The SITC Immunoprevention Virtual Summit highlighted the opportunities and limitations in cancer interception and immunoprevention and served as a platform to advocate for the widespread need for preventative methods and research. Topics addressed at the summit included immune environment of prevention, immune diagnostics and prevention, current progress in immunoprevention by cancer type, resources and funding opportunities, and the roles of the FDA, industry, and advocacy in the field of prevention.

Problem Statement

Immune interception and prevention strategies harness the immune system to prevent invasive cancer at a stage when anti-tumor immunity is most effective. Despite its great potential to positively impact public health, there is a marked lack of education and awareness within the field of immuno-oncology on immunoprevention, and the field of cancer interception and prevention remains largely nascent. The scientific community must effectively address and develop the field of immunoprevention, improving patient outcomes and reducing the global burden of cancer. 

Summit Goals & Objectives

The primary objective of the SITC Immunoprevention Virtual Summit is to highlight opportunities and challenges in the field of immunoprevention. Secondary goals include defining immunoprevention, with an emphasis on primary prevention; developing a roadmap to move forward in the field of immunoprevention; and establishing SITC as a home for researchers and healthcare providers interested in immunoprevention.

Program Agenda

12:00-12:05 p.m. EDT

Welcome and Introduction to Immunoprevention Virtual Summit

Leisha Emens, MD, PhD – Ankyra Therapeutics, SITC President
Philip Castle, PhD, MPH – National Cancer Institute

12:05-12:20 p.m. EDT

Immunoprevention: Opportunities and Challenges
Olivera Finn, PhD, FAIO – University of Pittsburgh

12:20-12:35 p.m. EDT

HPV Vaccines: A Model for Immunoprevention
Douglas Lowy, MD – National Cancer Institute

12:35-12:50 p.m.  EDT

Immune Interception of Pre-Malignancy
Bernard Fox, PhD – Providence Cancer Institute, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute

12:50-1:05 p.m.. EDT

Immune Targets for Interception and Prevention
Avrum Spira, MD, MSC – Johnson & Johnson, Boston University

1:05-1:20 p.m. EDT

Panel Discussion and Q&A
Moderator: Sasha Stanton, MD, PhD – Providence Cancer Institute, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute

Olivera Finn, PhD, FAIO – University of Pittsburgh
Bernard Fox, PhD – Providence Cancer Institute, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute
Douglas Lowy, MD – National Cancer Institute
Avrum Spira, MD, MSC – Johnson & Johnson, Boston University

1:20-1:30 p.m. EDT

Break

1:30-2:10 p.m. EDT

Panel 1: Immune Microenvironment of Pre-Malignancy
Moderator:  Jerome Galon, PhD – INSERM, Sorbonne University Paris
Steve Dubinett, MD – David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Nicolas Jacquelot, PhD – Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary
Kornelia Polyak, MD, PhD – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

2:10-2:50 p.m. EDT

Panel 2: Immune Interception Strategies
Moderator: Bernard Fox, PhD – Providence Cancer Institute, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute
Irene Ghobrial, MD – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Glenn Hanna, MD – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Steven Lipkin, MD, PhD – Weill Cornell Medicine
Neeha Zaidi, MD – Johns Hopkins Hospital

2:50-3:00 p.m. EDT

Break

3:00- 3:40 p.m. EDT

Panel 3: Primary Immunoprevention Strategies
Moderator: Powel Brown, MD, PhD – MD Anderson Cancer Center
Susan Domchek, MD – University of Pennsylvania
Sasha Stanton, MD, PhD – Providence Cancer Institute, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute
Eduardo Vilar-Sanchez, MD, PhD – MD Anderson Cancer Center
Baochun Zhang, MD, PhD – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

3:40-4:20 p.m. EDT

Panel 4: Clinical Trials: Patient Selection, Design, and Endpoints
Moderator: Eva Szabo, MD – National Cancer Institute
Mark Cobbold, MRCP, PhD – AstraZeneca
Powel Brown, MD, PhD – MD Anderson Cancer Center
Kevin Dodd, PhD – National Cancer Institute
Steve Dubinett, MD – David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Virginia Mason, RN, BSN – Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Jeffrey Roberts, MD – Merck Research Laboratories
Sasha Stanton, MD, PhD – Providence Cancer Institute, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute

4:20-5:05 p.m. EDT

Panel 5: New and Existing NCI Resources for Immunoprevention Research
Moderator: Shizuko Sei, MD – National Cancer Institute
Altaf Mohammed, PhD – National Cancer Institute
Mark Miller, PhD – National Cancer Institute

5:05-5:15 p.m. EDT

Conclusions
Leisha Emens, MD, PhD – Ankyra Therapeutics, SITC President
Philip Castle, PhD, MPH – National Cancer Institute

Summit Organizers

  • Leisha Emens, MD, PhD – Co-Chair
    Ankyra Therapeutics
  • Sasha Stanton, MD, PhD – Co-Chair
    Providence Cancer Institute / Earle A. Chiles Cancer Research Institute
  • Philip Castle, PhD, MPH
    National Cancer Institute
  • Mark Cobbold, PhD
    AstraZeneca
  • Olivera Finn, PhD, FAIO
    University of Pittsburgh
  • Elizabeth Jaffee, MD, FAIO
    Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University
  • Shizuko Sei, MD
    National Cancer Institute