Uncovering Mechanisms of Immune-Based Therapy in Cancer and Autoimmunity (B3)

Uncovering Mechanisms of Immune-Based Therapy in Cancer and Autoimmunity (B3) is organized by Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology and will be held from Feb 18 - 22, 2019 at Beaver Run Resort & Conference Center, Breckenridge, Colorado, United States of America.?

Course Description :
Significant progress has been made in the field of immunology over the past two decades. Therapeutic agents such as anti-TNF, anti-CD20, anti-CTLA4, and more recently anti-PD1 have benefited countless patients. This is a unique time for immunologists and clinical scientists to learn from the sheer number of clinical trials assessing immune targets for treatment of cancer and autoimmunity. Currently, there are more than 500 clinical studies testing combinations of checkpoint inhibitors with other pathway antagonists, which will begin to uncover the “immune mechanisms” driving the disease process. This is highlighted by the observation that more than 10-20% of patients treated with anti-PD1 and/or CTLA4 later suffer from autoimmunity (e.g., anti-PD1 treatment is linked to Type 1 diabetes and anti-CTLA-4 linked to IBD). The response rate to cancer treatment is greater in patients with autoimmune predisposition; therefore, the autoimmune side effect is in part associated with patient genetics. Conference topics will include discussions of combination immunotherapies, the genetics of patient response, and strategies to reprogram adaptive and innate immunity, which are key to harnessing the immune system to fight cancer and autoimmune diseases. The symposium will end with a special closing lecture on the future of immunotherapy.

Plenary Session Topics:
• Checkpoint Blockade Predisposes Patients to Autoimmunity
• Genetics of Autoimmunity and Cancer: What Are the Common Denominators?
• Cellular Reprogramming: Regulatory vs. Functional Fate
• Workshop: Immune Monitoring of Checkpoint Blockade Therapies
• Cellular Reprogramming: CD8 T Cell Exhaustion and CD4 T Cell Lineages
• Macrophage Biology, Tissue Repair, Autoimmunity and Cancer
• Neutrophils and MDSCs in Host Defense and Cancer
• Finding the Cure for Cancer
• Integrated Themes across Preclinical and Clinical Treatment of Cancer and Autoimmunity?

Additional details will be posted as soon as they are available.