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Immunotherapy and Immunology: An ASH Research Priority

December 29, 2022

January 2023

In recent years, several advances have been made in the fields of immunotherapy and immunology, with six new immunotherapies approved to treat hematologic indications. Accordingly, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) maintains an enduring interest in improving immunotherapies for the treatment of all hematologic diseases and has designated the field as one of its research priorities. ASH also established the Subcommittee on Emerging Gene and Cell Therapies to help address specific scientific and clinical issues related to this area of precision medicine, specifically as it applies to hematology.

Read on to learn more about the numerous resources ASH has developed for hematologists and how you can take advantage of them:

Consult a Colleague

The Consult a Colleague program is an ASH member benefit that facilitates the exchange of information and treatment strategies between ASH members and volunteer specialists. Members can seek advice on difficult clinical cases from specialists in a variety of hematology topics. For hematologists working with immunotherapies, the Consult a Colleague program accepts inquiries on the toxicities associated with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, in addition to other categories that span classical (non-malignant) and malignant hematology.

For the full listing of categories and information on how to submit an inquiry, visit hematology.org/consult.

ASH Annual Meeting Scientific Workshops

The Scientific Workshops at the annual meeting provide attendees with in-depth, interactive discussions of the latest scientific developments in a particular field of hematology. The following workshops in immunotherapies were offered at the 2022 meeting:

  • Scientific Workshop on Bedside to Bench: Dissecting Emergent CAR T-cell Toxicities beyond CRS and ICANS
  • Scientific Workshop on Gene Editing in Hematology: Here to Stay

For more information on these workshops, go to hematology.org/meetings/annual-meeting/programs/friday-scientific-workshops.

ASH Summit on Immunotherapies for Hematologic Diseases
March 2-3, 2023
Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC

The Summit on Immunotherapies for Hematologic Diseases is a unique meeting of the minds that brings together academic, medical, industry, and federal regulatory communities to address the obstacles in immunotherapy treatment development for classical and malignant hematologic conditions.

“Immunotherapies have had a dramatic impact on outcomes for patients with hematologic diseases. As the use of these therapies has expanded, learnings from patients are often discussed amongst smaller groups of experts,” said 2023 Program Co-Chair Terry Fry, MD, of the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Sana Biotechnology. “We hope the Summit will enable broader sharing of the growing experience with these transformative therapies, including with the regulatory agencies.”

Through participation in Summit, attendees will be able to: 

  • Discuss fundamental advances in basic immunology that provide the foundation for immune therapies and their application
  • Gain insights into critical limitations of immunotherapies and gene therapy, including associated adverse events
  • Examine cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in resistance and relapse associated with these therapies
  • Review new immunotherapy targets
  • Discuss the application of CRISPR gene editing in the development of targeted therapies
  • Analyze cell manufacturing considerations

Another important focus of this year’s Summit will be the application of immunotherapies for the treatment of classical hematologic diseases, as well as malignant diseases.

“Initially, immunotherapies were used in a small subset of hematologic malignancies. This has evolved rapidly, such that almost all areas of both malignant and classical hematology have benefited,” Dr. Fry explained. “To capture this expansion, this year’s Summit will incorporate gene therapy for classical hematologic diseases such as hemoglobinopathies and coagulopathies – both [of which] have been transformative for patients.”

Other highlights at the 2023 Summit, according to Dr. Fry, include sessions highlighting clinical experience, manufacturing, and challenges in immunotherapies; sessions presented in partnership with the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC); and a late-breaking session focused on gene editing.

For those interested in submitting abstracts, late-breaking abstracts will be accepted from January 24 through January 31, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time. Abstracts on immunotherapies are accepted in the following categories:

  • Basic Science
  • Translational Research
  • Clinical Research
  • Manufacturing of Immunotherapies
  • Emerging Promise and Challenges in Gene and Cell Therapies

To learn more about the Summit, including how to register, visit hematology.org/meetings/summit-on-emerging-immunotherapies-for-hematologic-diseases.

Coming Soon: Blood Journal Manuscript on CAR-T Toxicities

Coming in 2023, comprehensive guidance on four emerging CAR-T toxicities – cardiac and pulmonary toxicities, cytopenias, delayed and unusual neurotoxicity, and refractory cytokine release syndrome – will be published in Blood. As these toxicities are being seen in patients more frequently than ever before, clinicians have been left with little information on how to manage them. Experts from the field will share different techniques for managing and treating these toxicities in patients, as well as discuss the need to better understand why these toxicities are occurring in CAR T-cell therapies.

For more information on immunotherapies and immunology, as well as ASH’s other research priorities, visit hematology.org/research/ash-agenda-for-hematology-research.

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