Very cool to see. I've been fortunate to be a part of this project and to learn from everyone who helped make it a reality. It also goes to show how an IIT can improve the application and understanding of our existing therapies. Much more to do!

Really proud to be part of the 2018-2019 #SITCSparkathon team. Our review discussing key questions about the optimal duration of immune checkpoint blockade therapy is out in Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer today! jitc.bmj.com/content/9/3/e0…

Love to see the Sparkathon back in action. I really enjoyed this experience -- highly recommend for those with an interest in cancer immunotherapy research. Randy Sweis University of Chicago Hem/Onc Fellows

For uveal melanoma we now have a drug, tebentafusp, that improves OS in a phase 3 RCT - a first! Interestingly, the low ORR did not correlate w/ OS - a new drug class with a different biology of response. Looking forward to having this available nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…

A groundbreaking cancer drug has been helping UChicago Medicine patients for years in clinical trials. In January, the FDA approved the drug, which treats uveal melanoma. ms.spr.ly/6018wfbri

Props to Sherin Rouhani, MD PhD for leading this project confirming COVID-19 vaccinations are safe and effective in pt's receiving immuno and chemotherapies; lower titers in patients receiving B-cell directed therapies. And watch your patients with adrenal insufficiency closely!

Congrats to Robin Reschke and team for making this project a reality! We questioned if tissue-resident memory (Trm) T cells played a role in immune-related adverse events. As nicely shown here, they do expand after checkpoint inhibition in these irAE cases.

TIL therapy is looking like a great option for some after PD-1 Abs fail in advanced melanoma. It will be interesting to see how and when we can use this for patients, and where we ultimately use ipi. nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…

Cell therapy for solid tumors: progress, promise, and much to come. Here is a review by Kunle Odunsi, MD and me on the current state of the field, its challenges, and way to expand efficacy. University of Chicago Hematology/Oncology Journal of Clinical Oncology ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.120…

Neoadjuvant immunotherapy for resectable melanoma carries huge promise to personalize treatment and improve outcomes, but randomized data is only now emerging. I reviewed the current studies and trade-offs of PD-1 Abs vs ipi combos. #ASCODailyNews ASCO dailynews.ascopubs.org/do/weighing-pr…

“Everything about TILs is a pain in the neck,” says Nick Restifo,... “There's only one saving grace, and that is that they work.” This is an insightful history of TIL as we're on the cusp of this therapy coming available for patients with melanoma. nature.com/articles/d4157….

Wonderful news and I couldn't agree more. This is great news for our patients with advanced melanoma. Looking forward to offering this at U Chicago! UChicagoCancerCenter

📢 Exciting news: The University of Chicago Medicine is among the first 30 institutions in the country to offer tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy for advanced melanoma. #BreakThroughTherapy UChicago Medicine UChicagoCancerCenter University of Chicago Hematology/Oncology ow.ly/1J1R50QFMJN

Story comes around 360 with my fellow Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer #Sparkathon2018 classmate Dan Olson sharing the ASCO Developmental Therapeutics IO session together today!! Also awesome cochair Tian Zhang, MD, MHS and other speakers Anthony P Conley Ulka Vaishampayan and others !

We are grateful to offer TIL to patients in need. The behind-the-scenes efforts for all involved teams is immense. However, the stress fades easily when the results shine like this. uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/canc…