Immuno-oncology: the next generation of breakthrough therapies. Highlights from The Society for Medicines Research Symposium

The approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors has revolutionized cancer therapy. Even so, there remains an urgent need to find treatments for patients that do not respond to or are not eligible to receive this class of drugs. Given this, many more innovative approaches are now being developed to redirect the immune system toward tumor cells, ranging from small molecules and novel biologics to cell therapies and gene therapy approaches. The aim of the 1-day meeting was to bring together renowned experts from academia and industry to discuss the latest immunotherapy advances and highlight how these discoveries form the basis of novel drugs that are designed to target key immunology pathways and transform the lives of cancer patients. This meeting was aimed at students and practicing professionals from academia and industry looking to gain an understanding of the pathological mechanisms at play within immune oncology and their targeting in discovery and development of novel immunotherapies. The symposium was held at St. Hilda's College, Cowley Place, Oxford, UK, and sponsored by AstraZeneca.