How immuno-oncology is changing cancer care by harnessing the power of patients’ natural defenses

“Why do we harness the power of the immune system? It has memory, it’s adaptable and there are so many ways to utilize it to fight and prevent cancer.”

Sameek Roychowdhury, MD, PHD

Immunotherapy innovation is saving the lives of cancer patients across the country, while researchers continue to break new ground in this growing oncology field.

When Sameek Roychowdhury, MD, PHD, began his career as a cancer physician and scientist in the early 2000s, the field of immuno-oncology was in its early stages and didn’t look incredibly promising. There were few signs of progress, but researchers stayed the course.

“We needed a fine-tuned approach rather than a sledgehammer,” Roychowdhury says.

The turning point began with the successful completion of the human genome project in 2003. The ability to genetically sequence tumors and find specific mutations causing cancer was a game changer. Once mutations were identified, a challenge Roychowdhury describes as “finding a needle in a haystack,” effective immunotherapy drugs could be developed.

In the years since, immunooncologists have been hard at work in labs across the globe, conducting groundbreaking research that includes partnerships with patients and investments in new technology.

Clinical trials

In his lab at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Roychowdhury and his team have discovered genetic mutations and collaborated with other scientists and pharmaceutical companies to develop treatments and clinical trials that allow patients’ immune systems to detect and attack cancer cells that had been able to “hide” from more traditional therapies.

“Why do we harness the power of the immune system? It has memory, it’s adaptable and there are so many ways to utilize it to fight and prevent cancer,” Roychowdhury says. “Everything we do — every project, every idea, every grant, every publication and clinical trial — starts with and comes back to our patients.”

In Roychowdhury’s lab, and throughout The James, immunotherapy clinical trials are collective efforts, connecting multidisciplinary teams of oncology experts with patients whose participation paves the way for future cancer care breakthroughs.

“Computer scientists, geneticists, diagnostics specialists — all of these people come together to identify and solve problems,” Roychowdhury says. “But, patients are the heroes of cancer research.”

Scan the QR code to learn more about cancer clinical trials at

The James. *

T cell therapy

T cells can provide natural defenses against some forms of cancer by locating and destroying harmful cells, but they can sometimes be “outsmarted,” according to Richard Wu, MD, PHD.

“The bodies of some patients can be very hostile microenvironments for T cells,” Wu says. “The T cells can’t differentiate between cancer cells and healthy cells and become the potent cancer fighters they’re supposed to be.”

Wu and other Ohio State immuno-oncologists are taking on this challenge through a novel treatment called tumorinfiltrating therapy [TIL], which involves the extraction of T cells from patients that are then expanded to billions in the lab. The cells are reinfused into the patients, where they are better equipped to find and fight cancer cells.

“The process will make the cells stronger and smarter and better able to differentiate between cancer cells and healthy cells,” Wu says. “This is a very personalized form of immunotherapy.”

After chemotherapy depletes patients’ immune systems to make room, the new T cells are reinfused into their bodies, where they are better equipped to find and fight cancer cells.

Scan the QR code to learn more about TIL therapy research underway at The James.

Investing in the future of immuno-oncology

Immunotherapy has become a pillar of cancer care and research at Ohio State, where the OSUCCC – James’ Pelotonia Institute for Immunooncology [PIIO] launched to house a dedicated team of experts focused on developing new treatments and techniques.

“Together, we’re gaining greater knowledge of how the immune system works, and we’re using this knowledge to exploit weaknesses in cancer cells and tumors so we can turn laboratory discoveries into bedside treatments,” says Zihai Li, MD, PHD, the founding director of the PIIO.

Commitment to immunooncology has already led to advancements in the treatment of a number of conditions, including lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths.

“I’ve seen lung cancer patients who have completed immunotherapy treatment and have had a beautiful response and normal quality of life,” says David Carbone, MD, PHD. “Years later, they’re still doing fine without any additional cancer therapy, which is something that was never really heard of in the old days.”

Scan the QR code to learn more about the Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-oncology at The Ohio State University.