One hundred international experts have gathered at the research center Applied Medicine (CIMA ) of the University of Navarra to participate in the International Symposium "Routing Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy: from the lab to the clinic". The scientists analyzed the results of current clinical trials with immunotherapy, a treatment that financial aid stimulates the body's natural defenses to fight cancer.

"Immunotherapy is revolutionizing cancer treatment. The clinical trials that are underway show excellent safety results and the preliminary data tell us of unprecedented efficacy in several malignant diseases. But we need to push programs of study earlier to incorporate them into routine care and reach the patient as soon as possible," says Dr. Ignacio Melero, researcher of CIMA and of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra.

According to Dr. Kohrt Holbrook, a scientist at Stanford University in California (United States), "the new immunotherapy techniques are going to become the backbone on which we will develop new treatments, which will change the prognosis of cancer. We already have some inhibitors such as CTLA-4, which are being applied in patients, and PD-1 will be incorporated in a year's time. These inhibitors have the advantage that they can be applied to different types of tumor, their toxicity is lower and their immune response is more durable, which prevents the risk of relapse".

Dr. David Escors, researcher of Navarrabiomed, presented a new gene therapy tool using lentiviral vectors, which have a long incubation period. "Interestingly, during the development of this project, we have discovered a procedure by which we can generate very large quantities of immunosuppressive cells that appear in cancer, the myeloid suppressor cells. We are the only ones who can generate them at such high levels without inducing cancer in experimental animals. This procedure has allowed us to predict the behavior of the cancer vaccines we have developed before using them in experimental animals. Being able to grow these cells in vitro at such high levels will allow us to identify new therapeutic targets."

The research with immunotherapy in Spain

During the event, the Spanish scientists denounced the scarcity of economic resources for research in this field. "Other colleagues in our neighboring countries have more financial resources, but in Spain we have a staff of immunologists with excellent specific training . We must prioritize the topic of research and provide it with resources to attract the best researchers in a multidisciplinary way. In addition, we must also take advantage of the interaction with Spanish professionals in the pharmaceutical industry, since they form extraordinarily qualified teams. Let us hope that the status will change given the results and impact of these lines of experimental and applied work ", suggests Dr. Melero. In this sense, Dr. Escors adds that, in addition to directly increasing research funds for the projects, "the best solution internship comes from providing researchers with a clear degree program , with well-defined objectives and medium-long term stability deadline".

Currently in Navarra, immunotherapy is being applied in patients using the "latest generation" treatments, such as humanized monoclonal antibodies that, in some cases, block pathways that inhibit the immune system and, in others, directly activate immune system cells. "There are several basic research groups that are studying the mechanisms by which these drugs work. However, there is still a long way to go. For this reason, it is necessary for the research groups of the different centers of the Autonomous Community to collaborate so that there is a transfer of material and experience that will break down the barriers of knowledge. The creativity of the researchers will make it possible to develop new treatments, to learn more about how the immune system works and how to use it to treat cancer," says Dr. Escors.