Greetings,
We are sorry you were unable to join us at the International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer’s (iSBTc) 23rd Annual Meeting & Associated Programs in San Diego, October 29-November 2, 2008. This year was one of our most internationally attended meetings to date as we hosted nearly 400 participants from 30 countries together to discuss the latest science and data within our field.
Under the guidance of our Annual Meeting organizers, Thomas A. Davis, MD, AVANT Immmunotherapuetics, Inc.; William J. Murphy, PhD, University of California-Davis; Thomas F. Gajewski, MD, PhD, University of Chicago; and Hideaki Tahara, MD, PhD, University of Tokyo, attendees enjoyed an interactive environment where they learned, networked, and collaborated together to advance cancer research and help bridge the "bench to bedside" gap between translational research, development and clinical practice.
In addition to updates on the 2008 iSBTc meetings, I am happy to use this forum to announce an exciting change in our 2009 iSBTc programming. We have heard your comments and concerns regarding the difficulty in choosing between attending the iSBTc meeting and spending Halloween at home. Therefore, we have changed the dates for the 24th Annual Meeting & Associated Programs to October 28-October 31, 2009 with the sessions ending early afternoon on the last day. The organizers have planned another great meeting in 2009, so we hope this affords you the chance to join us in Washington, D.C. and still be with family and friends for Halloween night. Stay tuned for additional details at http://www.isbtc.org/meetings/ and please make note of this change on your calendars.
On that note, since this will be our final "Community Update" this year, let me take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of iSBTc in 2008.
I hope that you and yours enjoy a safe and pleasant Holiday Season and my Best Wishes for 2009.
Sincerely,
Bernard A. Fox, PhD
iSBTc President
2008 iSBTc PRESENTATION SLIDES AVAILABLE
The 2008 iSBTc meetings' presentations and slides will be available for viewing at www.isbtc.org. free of charge for all 2008 iSBTc program registrants. For anyone who did not register for the Annual Meeting or any of this year's Associated Programs, there will be a nominal, one-time fee that will provide you with a username and password, granting you access to all iSBTc 2008 program presentations.
The fee rates are as follows:
iSBTc members - $25
Non-members - $50
Please contact a member of the iSBTc staff via e-mail at info@isbtc.org or by phone at 414-271-2456, regarding your access code.
RECAP OF 2008'S ANNUAL MEETING AND ASSOCIATED PROGRAMS
Annual Meeting
October 31-November 2, 2008
Led by an internationally diverse and highly regarded slate of key opinion leaders, the three-day meeting came on the heels of a year that has experienced a swell of optimism in the field of cancer immunotherapy. iSBTc's 23rd Annual Meeting was abstract-driven with more than 50 scientific lectures and 140 poster presenters covering the cutting-edge science in fields of biological therapy and tumor immunology.
Workshop on Cancer and Inflammation: Promise for Biological Therapy
October 30, 2008
Organized by Lisa M. Coussens, PhD, University of California, San Francisco; Steven Dubinett, MD, University of California, Los Angeles; Michael Karin, PhD, University of California, San Diego; Michael T. Lotze, MD, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute; and George J. Weiner, MD, University of Iowa, the Workshop faculty and participants discussed and debated the use of biologic approaches in modifying inflammation and the significant scientific, regulatory and legal issues faced by the various stakeholders in their development and optimized clinical use. Workshop attendees heard state-of-the-science lectures and participated in breakout sessions.
Primer on Tumor Immunology and Biological Therapy of Cancer
October 30, 2008
Organized by Patrick Hwu, MD of MD Anderson Cancer Center and Kim A. Margolin, MD of the University of Washington, iSBTc's Primer provided a current overview of fields within tumor immunology and immunotherapy, moving from the most basic principles to the most advanced and cutting-edge research ideas.
If iSBTc's Primer interests you, the 2007 Primer on Tumor Immunology and Biological Therapy of Cancer is currently available as a webinar and for purchase as a CD-ROM here.
Hot Topic Symposium "Anti-CTLA-4: Issues in Development and Regulatory Approval"
November 2, 2008
Michael B. Atkins, MD, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Ulrich Keilholz, MD, of Charité CBF moderated this iSBTc-initiated forum which provided a venue for prominent cancer investigators from around the world to discuss complex clinical outcome issues surrounding the efficacy results and development strategies for two antibodies targeting the immune checkpoint molecule CTLA4 relative to other agents, especially interleukin 2, and the pathways and potential for their achieving regulatory approval.
To read the press release that outlines the findings from the comprehensive debates during this exciting iSBTc-initiated forum, visit the iSBTc News section here.
Global Regulatory Summit "Global Regulatory Considerations in the Development of Oncology Biologics Products for the Treatment of Cancer"
October 29, 2008
Organized by Raj K. Puri, MD, PhD of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Ulrich Kalinke, PhD of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut in Germany, the Global Regulatory Summit gave a global perspective on regulatory considerations and requirements within the development of oncology biologic products for the treatment of cancer. A complete list of participating countries can be found by clicking here.
iSBTc AWARDS
The Annual Meeting provides iSBTc the opportunity to recognize the lifetime achievements of key leaders in the field, as well as promote young and up-and-coming researchers. Here is a quick recap of this year's honorees:
Richard V. Smalley, MD Memorial Award
iSBTc's 2008 Richard V. Smalley, MD Memorial Award winner, Giorgio Parmiani, MD, of the San Raffaele Foundation, opened the meeting's program with his keynote address entitled, "Different Tumor Antigens in the Immunotherapy of Cancer: Are We Selecting the Right Target?". Named after one of iSBTc's charter members, the Richard V. Smalley, MD Memorial Award serves as recognition of lifetime research excellence in the field of cancer biologics and is accompanied by an honorarium of $5,000.
Young Investigator Awards
Continuing in iSBTc's tradition of promoting the professional development of young researchers, three categories of awards have been created to encourage and reward excellence from students, fellows-in-training and junior faculty within the field of cancer biologics. Winners were chosen by a committee of iSBTc leadership.
iSBTc Presidential Award
Andrea Facciabene, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania, was named the winner of the 2008 Presidential Award, iSBTc's highest honor extended to a young investigator. Dr. Facciabene's abstract, entitled "CCL28 a New Link Between Hypoxia Angiogenesis and Tumor Immune Evasion," was selected based on both his abstract submission and the 20-minute oral presentation he provided of his findings during the Presidential Session.iSBTc Presidential Travel Awards
In addition to Dr. Facciabene, three other young investigators were selected for their excellence for a submitted abstract and were provided the opportunity to orally present their research during the Presidential Session. The Presidential Travel Award winners included:
- Erik Johnson, MD - University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Stephanie K. Watkins, PhD - National Cancer Institute
- Jianda Yuan, MD, PhD - Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
iSBTc Travel Awards
Based on abstract submissions, iSBTc granted six travel awards to young investigators presenting posters at the 23rd Annual Meeting. Travel Award winners included:
- Yong-Oon Ahn - Seoul National University College of Medicine
- Jack Bui, MD, PhD - University of California, San Diego
- Shujuan Liu, PhD - MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Markus Schmid - Helmholtz Zentrum München Institute of Molecular Immunology
- Jason Steel, PhD - National Cancer Institute
- Andrea Worschech, M.Sc. - National Institutes of Health
SAVE THE DATE
iSBTc 2009 Annual Meeting and Associated Programs
October 28 - October 31, 2009
Washington, D.C.
24th Annual Meeting Organizers:
- Lieping Chen, MD, PhD - Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Robert Ferris, MD, PhD, FACS - University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
- Carl H. June, MD - University of Pennsylvania
- Giorgio Trinchieri, MD - National Cancer Institute
- Laurence Zitvogel, MD, PhD - Institute Gustave Roussy
2009 iSBTc-FDA-NCI Workshop on Imunnotherapy Biomarkers: Profiling of Immune Response to Guide Cancer Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Prediction of Therapy Organizers:
- Lisa Butterfield, PhD - University of Pittsburgh
- Mary (Nora) Disis, MD - University of Washington
- Samir Khleif, MD - National Cancer Institute
- Francesco Marincola, MD - National Institutes of Health
- Magdalena Thurin, MD - National Institutes of Health
Please visit us at 2009 meetings page http://www.isbtc.org/meetings/ for the most recent updates and details on the 24th Annual Meeting and Associated Programs.
iSBTc OFFICER and AT-LARGE DIRECTOR ELECTIONS
Thank you to those members who participated in the iSBTc fall election by casting your ballots. As you may already know, Bernard A. Fox, PhD, of the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, has ascended into the position of iSBTc President after having served two years as Vice President of the Society. As elected by membership, the new 2008-2009 iSBTc Officers and At-Large Directors include:
iSBTc Vice President/President-Elect (2008-2010)
- Thomas F. Gajewski, MD, PhD - University of Chicago
iSBTc Secretary/Treasurer (2008-2011)
- George Coukos, MD, PhD - University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
iSBTc At-Large Directors (2008-2011)
- Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD - Johns Hopkins University
- Carl H. June, MD - University of Pennsylvania
- Dolores J. Schendel, PhD - Helmholtz Zentrum München German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH)
In addition, in the wake of Dr. Coukos's election to Secretary/Treasurer, Howard L. Kaufman, MD, of Columbia University has been selected to complete the remaining year of Dr. Coukos's term as an At-Large Director. Immediate Past President Jon M. Wigginton, MD, of Bristol-Myers Squibb, will now serve as Chairman of the Executive Council, as well as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors. A complete listing of iSBTc's Board of Directors can be found here.
BYLAW AMENDMENTS
Also on the fall ballot, members voted to amend the iSBTc Bylaws to simplify recruitment efforts and maximize the benefits of all iSBTc members by streamlining the number of membership types into: Regular Member, Affiliate Member and Scientist-in-Training (Student). If your current membership category does not fall within one of these three member types, you will receive a letter in the upcoming days regarding your new classification. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.