Letter From the Editor- February

Dear JITC Readers,

Welcome to the second JITC digest of 2021. The papers highlighted in this month’s spotlight exciting new frontiers in the immunotherapy field—underscoring the advancements made in new therapies beyond checkpoint inhibitors as well as the ever-evolving understanding of how the “classical” treatments exert anti-tumor effects.

 

The journal added new sections devoted to adoptive cell therapies and oncolytic viruses as recently as last year, and these important areas continue to advance.

 

This month, a paper by Jitendra Kumar et al reveals a strategy to overcome a longstanding challenge in adoptive cell therapies for solid tumors, namely, the immunosuppressive milieu in the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, Giulia Marelli and colleagues demonstrate a rational approach to enhancing the efficacy of oncolytic virus therapy with improved systemic distribution and enforced cytokine production for the vector.

 

The central role of the innate immune system in the anti-tumor effects of checkpoint inhibition are increasingly coming to prominence. Highlighting this rapidly evolving avenue of inquiry, Anastasia Prokopi et al provide evidence that dendritic cells are essential for tumor control in melanoma.

 

Complementing the original research in this month’s digest is an outstanding review by Xiuting Liu, Graham D Hogg, and David G DeNardo, which clearly outlines the direct and indirect effects of checkpoint inhibition on non-lymphoid cells. For additional nuanced and sophisticated explorations of the evolving landscape of tumor immune suppression and evasion, be sure to revisit the Immune Checkpoints Beyond PD-1 series.

 

Finally, it would be impossible for JITC to maintain its status as the preeminent immuno-oncology journal without the tireless efforts of anonymous peer reviewers, who ensure that every paper published in the journal is of the highest quality. In 2020, more than 1,400 unique reviewers evaluated papers for the journal, and the editorial board wishes to extend a sincere and heartfelt thank you for their dedication and perseverance. If you are interested in applying to become a reviewer, please visit the volunteer portal to apply.

 

Best regards,

Pedro J. Romero, MD
Editor-in-Chief, Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer

To view the entire February 2021 JITC Digest, please click here. 

President's Message - March 2019

Dear Colleagues,

Last month, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) recognized and celebrated International Day of Women and Girls in Science. With International Women’s Day approaching (March 8), it reminds us of our responsibility and commitment to help advance the careers of women in the cancer immunotherapy field.

As the successor to the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s (SITC) first female president, Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD, I am privileged to continue and expand our society’s support of women involved with research and development in the laboratory, clinic, industry and all other areas related to immuno-oncology.

Dr. Butterfield championed many causes, programs and initiatives during her tenure as SITC President, including working to ensure the society was recognizing and encouraging professional development for women. This included hosting women’s receptions at the past two SITC Annual Meetings, offering women an opportunity to network, celebrate successes and discuss important topics critical to their advancement.

Through Dr. Butterfield’s continued leadership, and with support from many of our fellow colleagues, SITC will host its first-ever Women in Cancer Immunotherapy Network (WIN) Leadership Institute this summer. Scheduled for Aug. 19–20, 2019, in Seattle, the SITC WIN Leadership Institute will provide a forum for attendees to discuss important topics relevant to their advancement, including how to break through the glass ceiling; negotiation tactics; and critical leadership skills. Also of note, the program is free to attend. Women interested in attending this exciting one-and-a-half-day program are encouraged to submit an application by April 15.

SITC is currently recruiting our members to join the Women in Cancer Immunotherapy Network Database. This database will contain a repository of leaders in the field of cancer immunotherapy with an interest in serving as subject matter experts for a variety of potential roles, such as presenting data at SITC meetings, conducting article reviews for the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC), serving in organizer roles to plan future meetings and more.

Those interested in being considered for such future opportunities can submit their credentials via the SITC Volunteer Portal, a members-only benefit. If you have questions about the database, please contact Senior Administrative Manager Rosanne Stelpflug.

I, along with all the leadership of SITC, wholeheartedly support the efforts of the WIN. The WIN is a key part of our society’s commitment to developing future female leaders in science and medicine – some who will hopefully follow Dr. Butterfield’s footsteps and serve as SITC President in the future. I’m also sending a reminder that SITC member registration for the 34^th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2019) opens soon – on March 26. Scheduled for Nov. 6–10 in National Harbor, Md., SITC 2019 will take our society to new heights and I look forward to seeing new and familiar faces this fall.

Sincerely,

Mario Sznol, MD
SITC President