Keyword: Immunotherapy

Through immunotherapies utilising Immune Checkpoint Blockers (ICB), advanced solid cancers can today be treated with unprecedented efficacy. However, not all patients respond positively to these treatments. InFLAMES researcher, Docent Carlos Rogerio Figueiredo and his team are working to uncover the underlying causes of this resistance to ICB. They focus on patients suffering from malignant melanomas and lung cancers as main research models. 

Cancer IO is a new cancer immunotherapy focused top-level collaborative research and innovation project that starts as a part of the Business Finland’s Personalized Health Program. With a total funding of 10 million euros, Cancer IO is a significant IO focused Nordic research and innovation program.

New study from researchers in Finland and the United Kingdom reveals that tumors lacking a protein called BAP1 have an ineffective immune reaction against cancer, thus rendering immunotherapies ineffectual, particularly in uveal melanomas (UM). The researchers also discovered that when BAP1 is lost, other molecules will be present in order to support cancer growth. Luckily, some of these molecules can be targeted with existing drugs, which can lead to the development of novel immunotherapies.