Speakers to Address Tumor Immunology, Biological Therapy

October 25, 2007 - The “Primer on Tumor Immunology and Biological Therapy” will be held on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007 in Boston and feature several prominent speakers in the field of cancer research.

The educational program, developed by the International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer, is organized by Martin A Cheever M.D. of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Group and Kim A. Margolin, M.D. of the City of Hope Cancer Center. The primer’s presenters will provide a current overview of immunology and biological therapy regarding clinical applications for the treatment of cancer and address the current underpinnings of biological therapy and tumor immunology.

Participants include scientists working in industry, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, practicing physicians and research technicians in the field of cancer research. Many attendees have substantial background in one specialized area of biological therapy or tumor immunology, but often have little or no familiarity with other areas. It is the goal of the Primer to help educate attendees in these other fields of study and practice.

This year’s audience will learn central concepts and recent advances in cancer vaccines, vaccine adjuvants, host-tumor interactions, the role of “danger” signals in integrating innate and adaptive immunity, T cell therapy, angiogenesis, antibody therapy and cytokines.

The complete listing of this year’s speakers includes:

Judah Folkman, M.D. – Children’s Hospital Boston
Patrick Hwu, MD – M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Rakesh K. Jain, Ph.D. – Harvard Medical School
Kim A. Margolin, M.D. – City of Hope Cancer Center
Francesco Marincola, M.D. – National Institutes of Health
Polly Matzinger, Ph.D. – National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Ira H. Pastan, M.D. – National Institutes of Health
Kenneth Rock, M.D. – University of Massachusetts
Carmen Scheibenbogen, M.D. – Institut for Med Immunologie
Paul M. Sondel, MD, Ph.D. – University of Wisconsin
Louis M. Weiner, M.D. – Fox Chase Cancer Center

For more information: www.isbtc.org