.jpeg "Justin Balko, PharmD, PhD photo")
Justin Balko, PharmD, PhD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Hannah Carter, PhD
University of California San Diego
.jpg "Mark Yarmarkovich, PhD photo")
Mark Yarmarkovich, PhD
NYU School of Medicine
Chang Liu, MD, PhD, A(ACHI)
Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine
Manli Shen, PhD
Jefferson Health
This plenary session will discuss the pivotal role of HLA in cancer immunotherapy, highlighting the latest research and therapeutic innovations. The first presentation will explore the intricate relationships between HLA genotypes and the neoantigen landscape, revealing how these factors influence immune responses, affect cancer risk, and determine treatment outcomes. The second speaker will introduce the novel peptide-centric (PC)-CAR T cells that target intracellular tumor antigens, thereby expanding the therapeutic potential for solid tumors, with the first PC-CAR entering clinical trials in 2024. Given the essential role of HLA in peptide presentation, the loss of HLA in cancer would be detrimental. The third presentation will focus on the detection and implications of tumor-specific HLA gene downregulation, using advanced in situ immunohistochemistry to enhance our understanding of antigen presentation and resistance mechanisms in cancer immunotherapies. Prepare to be inspired by the transformative potential of these discoveries at the intersection of cancer biology, HLA, and immunotherapy!
Session developed by Annette Jackson, Chang Liu, Jerry Morris and Cathi Murphey, program planning committee.
To learn more please click here.
Speaker: Hannah Carter, PhD – University of California San Diego
Speaker: Justin Balko, PharmD, PhD – Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Speaker: Mark Yarmarkovich, PhD – NYU School of Medicine