Advancing Tumor Immunotherapy: Innovative Strategies and Clinical Progress in Solid Tumors
Prof. Rimas Orentas
Country : Germany
Official Title : Director
Department :
Institute : Miltenyi Biotec
Prof. Michael Lim
Country : USA
Official Title : Chair
Department :
Institute : Stanford University
Speaker CVCAR-T cell therapy in ma-lignant brain tumor
This lecture provides an overview of CAR-T cell therapy and its applications in cancer treatment. The speaker explains the scientific basis of CAR-T: immune cells are collected from patients, genetically engineered to recognize tumor-specific markers, and reinfused to directly attack cancer cells. The talk highlights significant clinical successes in blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, where patients who had exhausted other treatments achieved remarkable remission. The lecture also addresses key challenges, including high treatment costs, potential side effects like cytokine release syndrome, and difficulties in extending therapy to solid tumors such as liver or lung cancer. The speaker emphasizes the importance of collaboration among clinicians, researchers, and regulatory bodies to overcome these barriers and expand access. Looking ahead, advances in cell engineering, manufacturing, and safety monitoring are expected to broaden the impact of CAR-T therapy. Overall, the lecture conveys cautious optimism: while challenges remain, CAR-T has already transformed many lives and continues to represent one of the most promising frontiers in cancer immunotherapy.
Prof. Han Chong Toh
Country : Singapore
Official Title : Deputy Director
Department :
Institute : National Cancer Centre Singapore
Speaker CVCell Therapy in Shaping the Future of Oncology
Since the game changing arrival of CAR T cell therapy in 2017 against relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia(ALL) and then with strong confirmation of efficacy across many blood cancers, the quest was on to harness CAR T against solid tumours. The past 2 years have reported promising results of new generation CAR T agains solid tumours, notably gliomas, paediatric neuroblastoma and gastric cancers. I will discuss the randomized CAR T cell trial targeting Claudin 18.2 in Claudin 18.2+ advanced gastric cance r, the world’s first randomized trial of any CAR T in solid tumour. I will discuss some strategies of CAR T therapy to overcome the particular challenges in solid tumours including immune escape, barriers of the tumour microenvironment and limitation in pe rsistence. More novel frontiers of CAR T include in vivo CAR T which is emerging into early phase clinical trials and combination therapies also. I will present some of our own data harnessing engineered unconventional T cells against solid tumours. In 2024, there were FDA approvals for tumour infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy in refractory melanoma and TCR T cell therapy against subtypes of MAGE A4 expressing soft tissue sarcoma. I will touch on these cell therapy strategies and their future potenti al in oncology.
Recent Advances in Immu-notherapy for GU Cancers
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of both renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and urothelial carcinoma (UC) across peri-operative and advanced settings. For peri-operative RCC, KEYNOTE-564 (adjuvant pembrolizumab) improved DFS; CheckMate-914 (nivolumab + ipilimumab) did not. In advanced RCC, CheckMate-214 (nivolumab + ipilimumab) improved OS in intermediate/poor-risk patients, while VEGF TKI–IO combinations redefined the frontline: KEYNOTE-426 (pembrolizumab + axitinib), CheckMate-9ER (nivolumab + cabozantinib), and CLEAR (lenvatinib + pembrolizumab) all showed superior PFS and OS compared with sunitinib. For peri-operative UC, CheckMate-274 (adjuvant nivolumab) and AMBASSADOR (adjuvant pembrolizumab) improved DFS. The phase III NIAGARA trial demonstrated that peri-operative durvalumab plus neoadjuvant gemcitabine–cisplatin followed by adjuvant durvalumab significantly improved both EFS (HR ≈ 0.68) and OS (HR ≈ 0.75) compared with chemotherapy alone, leading to FDA approval and Category 1 guideline inclusion. In advanced UC, JAVELIN Bladder 100 defined avelumab maintenance after first-line platinum response as standard of care, while CheckMate-901 confirmed nivolumab + Cis/Gem, and EV-302/KEYNOTE-A39 established enfortumab vedotin + pembrolizumab as a global first-line standard with unprecedented survival benefit. Together, these peri-operative and advanced RCC and UC trials represent landmark milestones, placing ICI-based regimens as therapeutic backbones. Ongoing efforts now focus on refining patient selection, integrating biomarkers, and optimizing sequencing strategies to maximize durable benefit.
Recent Advances in Immunotherapy and Cell Therapy for Gastrointestinal Cancer
Immunotherapy and cell therapy are reshaping parts of gastrointestinal oncology while exposing biologic limits. In biliary tract cancer, adding PD-1 or PD-L1 blockade to gemcitabine plus cisplatin confers durable overall survival and defines the current first line. In gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, PD-1 plus chemotherapy remains the backbone, and CLDN18.2 targeted CAR T cells such as CT041 have shown superiority to physician’s choice in previously treated disease. For hepatocellular carcinoma, atezolizumab with bevacizumab and the STRIDE regimen provide durable survival outcome in trials and real world cohorts. In esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer, adjuvant nivolumab after chemoradiation and surgery prolongs disease free survival. By contrast, microsatellite stable colorectal cancer largely resists checkpoint therapy, and ongoing studies are testing rational triplets that incorporate angiogenic and stromal modulation. Early cell therapy signals include CEA directed CAR T delivered by hepatic arterial infusion for colorectal liver metastases and KRAS G12D specific TCR T cells in pancreatic cancer. This lecture will integrate practice changing advances and emerging platforms.
Recent Advances in the Treatment of Melanoma
The treatment of melanoma has undergone a major transformation with the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors. In early-stage high-risk disease, adjuvant immunotherapy has been shown to significantly reduce recurrence after surgery while maintaining a more favorable safety profile compared with older approaches. In advanced or metastatic melanoma, dual immune checkpoint blockade has demonstrated higher response rates and improved long-term survival, even in patients who previously failed systemic treatments. These therapies enhance T-cell activation and anti-tumor immunity, but they are also associated with immune-related adverse events that can involve multiple organs. Early detection and multidisciplinary management are critical to maintaining efficacy while minimizing toxicity. Overall, immunotherapy has reshaped melanoma care, improving both survival and quality of life across different stages of disease. It has set a new standard of treatment, offering durable outcomes for many patients and paving the way for further innovations in cancer immunology.
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