2016 WMIF | Immunotherapy II: Cell Based Therapies

2016 WMIF | Immunotherapy II: Cell Based Therapies

Moderator: David Fisher, MD, PhD, Chief, Dermatology Service, Director, Melanoma Program, Director, Cutaneous Biology Research Center, MGH Cancer Center, Edward Wigglesworth Professor of
Dermatology, Harvard Medical School
Usman (Oz) Azam, MD, Global Head, Cell & Gene Therapies Unit, Novartis
Mark Frohlich, MD, Executive Vice President, Portfolio Strategy, Juno Therapeutics
Marcela Maus, MD, PhD, Director of Cellular Immunotherapy, MGH, Member of the Faculty, Harvard Medical School
Chuck Wilson, PhD, CEO, Unum Therapeutics

Oncology sits on the cusp of a new revolution thanks to the use of human cells as versatile therapeutic engines. By modifying T cells to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that recognize cancer-specific antigens, our expert panelists describe how they have been able to prime cells to recognize and kill tumor cells that would otherwise escape immune detection. They also detail the various “living drugs” that kill cancer cells and could replace standard oncology treatments in the future.