By – Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
When Christopher Klebanoff, MD, came to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) from the National Cancer Institute in 2016, he was focused on a singular goal: bringing the promise of cellular immunotherapies to the more than 80% of cancers that as yet lack an effective immunotherapy option. That large fraction includes many of the most common and deadly types of solid tumors, including breast, ovarian, colon, and pancreatic cancer.
What makes these cancers so stubbornly unresponsive to existing immunotherapies? Essentially, it comes down to a lack of easily recognizable immunologic targets displayed by cancer cells.