Cancer Immunotherapy 101 with Dr. E. John Wherry

The basics of the immune system, immunotherapy, and cancer with Dr. E. John Wherry at the 2020 CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit. #CRIsummit #immunotherapy #immunology
https://www.cancerresearch.org/virtua...

Immunotherapy continues to transform cancer treatment across several cancer types and shows incredible promise for the future of all cancer care. But what is immunotherapy and how does it work? How is immunotherapy different from other types of cancer treatment? https://www.cancerresearch.org/immuno...

Dr. E John Wherry, director of the UPenn Institute for Immunology, explains how our immune system works, breaks down the complex science underlying immunotherapy into basic concepts, describes the different types of immunotherapy, and discusses potential side effects and benefits that patients can anticipate. The presentation is followed by a Q&A moderated by Tamron Hall.

In this video, Dr. E John Wherry addresses:
- Components of the innate and adaptive immune system
- Current immunotherapies, including checkpoint blockade and CAR T cell therapy
- New immunotherapies in development, including new targets, neoantigen vaccines, and new combination treatments
- Genetic and genomic testing for cancer
- Common side effects of immunotherapy
- Cancer immunotherapy clinical trials
- Tumor biomarkers such as MSI-H and TMB-H
- Immunotherapy treatment regimen decisions, such as length of treatment or infusion timing
- Microbiome and immunotherapy
- Diet and nutrition with cancer immunotherapy
- Differences between immunotherapy and chemotherapy
- Autoimmune diseases and cancer immunotherapy
- Flu vaccine and cancer immunotherapy

E. John Wherry is the Barbara and Richard Schiffrin President’s Distinguished Professor, chair of the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics in the Perelman School of Medicine and director of the UPenn Institute for Immunology. Dr. Wherry’s expertise lies mainly in T cell exhaustion, which can hamper anti-tumor immune responses. He has published over 200 papers, many of which have helped advance our understanding of how gene expression changes affect this exhaustion, which has led to strategies to improve the effectiveness of T cell-targeting immunotherapies. In recognition of his achievements, Dr. Wherry received the Distinguished Alumni award from Thomas Jefferson University, the Stand Up To Cancer Phillip A. Sharp Award, the Cancer Research Institute 2016 Frederick W. Alt Award for New Discoveries in Immunology. He is an associate director of CRI’s Scientific Advisory Council and member of CRI’s Clinical Leadership Committee. https://www.cancerresearch.org/about-...

The 2020 CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit is part of the Cancer Research Institute's Answer to Cancer Patient Education Program. Established in 1953, the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing our immune system’s power to control and potentially cure all cancers. Our mission: Save more lives by fueling the discovery and development of powerful immunotherapies for all types of cancer. To accomplish this, we rely on donor support and collaborative partnerships to fund and carry out the most innovative clinical and laboratory research around the world, support the next generation of the field’s leaders, and serve as the trusted source of information on immunotherapy for cancer patients and their caregivers. https://www.cancerresearch.org

Cancer Research Institute is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit under EIN 13-1837442. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under the law.