Cancer Vaccines 2004: a Report from the World

Newswise — Harnessing the exquisite specificity of the immune system to detect and attack cancer cells has long been a dream of cancer immunologists. Cancer vaccines are getting ever closer to becoming reality as they are shown to consistently and reproducibly stimulate the immune system to attack cancer-specific targets. Now early-phase clinical trials are beginning to show hints of the promise of immunotherapy.

WHAT: New findings in the development of cancer vaccines from the USA, Australia, Europe and Japan will be presented as part of the International Cancer Immunotherapy Symposia Series.

WHEN: October 4-6, 2004

WHERE: Manhattan Conference Center at the Millenium Broadway Hotel 145 West 45th Street, New York.

WHO: Organized by the Cancer Research Institute, New York. Speakers are drawn from the international Cancer Vaccine Collaborative, leading US academic groups, and industry efforts. Over 250 scientists and physicians registered so far.

ONLINE: Registration and more information at: http://www.cancerresearch.org. Registration not required for journalists/writers with press accreditation.

TOPICS: * Identification and characterization of cancer-specific immunological targets (antigens) for different tumor types.* Analysis and clinical monitoring of immune response to cancer antigens.* Vaccine formulation and development in academia and industry, including the use of heat-shock proteins and pox viruses.* Early-phase clinical trials results in melanoma and ovarian cancer.

Since its inception in 1953, the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) has had a singular mission—to foster research that will yield an understanding of the immune system and its response to cancer, with the ultimate goal of developing immunological methods for the control and prevention of the disease. To accomplish these goals, CRI supports scientists at all stages of their careers and funds every step of the research process, from basic laboratory studies to clinical trials testing novel immunotherapies. Guided by a Scientific Advisory Council, which includes four Nobel Prize winners and 26 members of the National Academy of Sciences, CRI awards fellowships and grants to scientists around the world. Additionally, the Institute has more recently taken on a new leadership role in the areas of preclinical and clinical research by serving as the integrating force and facilitator of collaborations among leading experts. CRI has thus become a catalyst for accelerating the development of cancer vaccines and antibody therapies.