The findings were so promising that the clinical trial is being redesigned to investigate whether radiation treatment can also be avoided.

The study reported in the journal Nature provides a mechanistic explanation for the “obesity paradox” — that obesity can contribute to cancer progression but also improve response to immunotherapy.

Speakers at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center 25th Annual Scientific Retreat detailed the history of hereditary cancer discoveries and gave overviews about ongoing research. 

The Vanderbilt Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy Symposium offers clinicians detailed information on the latest developments for hematological diseases, ranging from immunotherapies for blood cancers to new, curative therapies for sickle cell disease.

While immune checkpoint inhibitors that target the PD-1 molecule on T-cells have proven to be effective with many cancers, these immunotherapies have not worked for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but new research has identified a “cousin” molecule as a potential therapeutic target for AML. 

The results from a research partnership between GE HealthCare and Vanderbilt University Medical Center utilizing artificial intelligence to enable safer and more precise cancer immunotherapies show that the models they developed predict patient responses with 70% to 80% accuracy.

A research endeavor that seeks to develop a new cancer immunotherapy utilizing nanobody delivery and targeted heating of tumors has received funding from the Waddell Walker Hancock Cancer Discovery Fund.