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Virtual Seminar: Dissecting Toxicities of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

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Douglas Johnson, M.D., MSCI

Associate Professor of Medicine
Clinical Director, Melanoma Program
Ingram Cancer Center
Vanderbilt University

Virtual Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar: Dissecting Toxicities of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Nov. 19, 2021 

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Archived video

About this Seminar

Anti-PD-1 therapy has dramatically altered cancer treatments, but many unanswered questions remain. First, the need for more accurate biomarkers to provide clues to the pathogenesis of response and resistance, and to more accurately assign patients to effective treatment remains a key unmet need. Tumor cell expression of MHC class II and tumor mutational burden are two potential markers of response. Second, patients treated with anti-PD-1, especially when used in combination, frequently experience severe immune-related toxicities. Identifying patients at risk, clinically phenotyping clinical events, and determine effective treatment strategies remain unmet needs. In this presentation, Dr. Johnson will discuss his lab's work in identifying anti-PD-1 biomarkers, particularly focusing on MHC-II and tumor mutational burden, and in characterizing anti-PD-1 toxicities.

Additional Details

This is a free event hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and co-sponsored by the institute's Cancer Research Group. The Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series, which runs annually from September to May, has featured leading biomedical researchers from throughout the country since the program began in 2012. The lectures are also open to all members of the Virginia Tech community including graduate students, undergraduates, faculty, and staff, as well as the public.

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