Episode Breakdown
- 0:00 – Intro and guest introduction
- 2:24 – Why breast cancer has been considered “immunologically cold” and early immunotherapy approaches
- 5:22 – Design and results of a low-dose radiation + pembrolizumab window-of-opportunity study
- 9:21 – Impact of neoadjuvant immunotherapy on surgery and pathology
- 12:12 – Minimal residual disease and using tumors as an in situ vaccine
- 15:26 – Deescalation strategies for early-stage triple-negative breast cancer
- 16:59 – Engineered immune cells (CAR T and TCR) and local delivery concepts
- 21:54 – Future of personalized cancer vaccines and intratumoral vaccine + immune modulator strategies
We're excited to introduce another episode of the ImmunoLogic video podcast, hosted by Joseph Fraietta, PhD, an assistant professor of microbiology and the director of the Fraietta Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. Fraietta is joined by cohost Janna Minehart, MD, a clinical fellow in oncology (Master of Science Translational Research Program) at the University of Pennsylvania. Our hope is that this show will serve as a critical forum for clinicians, translational researchers, and biotechnology professionals to explore the evolving landscape of immunotherapy. We're seeking to bridge cutting-edge research with practical applications and delve into how immune-based therapies transition from innovative discoveries to transformative patient care solutions.
In this episode, the cohosts speak with Julia C. Tchou, MD, PhD, the director of the Breast Surgery Research Program at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, about the potential of combining immunotherapy approaches and surgery in the treatment of breast cancer. Tchou, Fraietta, and Minehart cover topics including why breast cancer has been considered “immunologically cold” and early immunotherapy approaches, the design and results of a low-dose radiation + pembrolizumab window-of-opportunity study, using tumors as an in situ vaccine, and the future of personalized cancer vaccines and intratumoral vaccine and immune modulator strategies.
