Time: 11am EST (NA) / 4pm GMT (UK) / 5pm CET (EU-Central)

Duration: 60 minutes

• Joseph Murphy, Ph.D., Director of R&D, Oncology, Charles River Laboratories

The immune system is characterized by remarkable specificity, potency, and memory; these are exemplified by the ability of a single dose of vaccine to provide lifelong protection against disease. No pharmacologic treatment for any indication provides the same level of safety, efficacy, and long-lasting effect conveyed by a vaccine. Researchers and clinicians have long sought to apply these characteristics to the treatment of cancer, and advances in cellular immunology over the past three decades have provided enormous insights into the nature and consequences of interactions between tumors and immune cells that have signaled the beginning of a new era. This knowledge continues to lead to strategies whereby the immune system might be harnessed for treating established malignancies.

A number of immunologic interventions, both passive and active, can be directed against tumor cells. In passive immunotherapy, specific effector cells are directly infused and are not induced or expanded within the patient. Active cellular immunity can be induced targeting specific well-defined antigens, and several techniques can be used to stimulate a host response. Early attempts to apply these techniques to cancer immunotherapy were not very successful due to the innate immune checkpoint system designed to prevent immune attack on autologous cells. In recent years, researchers have begun to overcome this challenge.