An Immunological Approach to Cancer By: Uma Kantheti RISE Mentor: Dr. Doll

“Down to their innate molecular core, cancer cells are hyperactive, survival- endowed, scrappy, fecund, inventive copies of ourselves” –Siddhartha Mukherjee The Emperor of All Maladies

Cancer by the Numbers 2 nd biggest killer in the US after heart disease Will surpass heart disease by 2030 Demand for oncology services will rise 42% Survival rates have risen from 49% to 68% from 1975 to 2010 American Cancer Society

Common Treatments Surgery Works well with thyroid cancer 10-15% recurrence in breast cancers Radiation Therapy Expose tumors to intense radio waves High risk of recurrence- 7.3% in breast cancer patients Chemotherapy Kills fast-growing cells Has severe side effects like hair loss, gastrointestinal problems, and low blood cell production

Target Therapy Targeted Therapies! Prevent/Blo ck/Interrupt Cell Growth Make the immune system responsive to cancer cells Cut off blood flow to tumor Target defects in cancer cells Cause cell death (apoptosis) Carry other drugs to a tumor

Zelboraf ® and Gleevec® These drugs prevent cell growth and reproduction in only cancer cells

Immunotherapy A kind of target therapy that involves a patient’s immune system in treating cancer Some kinds of immunotherapy: CAR-T cell therapy, CTLA-4 inhibitors, and PD-1 inhibitors

CAR T-Cell Therapy

CTLA-4 Inhibitor

PD-1 Inhibitors Stands for “programmed death” and usually treats cancer that have metastasized Merck’s Keytruda ® is an anti-PD 1 drug that treats melanomas by targeting T-cells

Pharmaceuticals in Immunotherapy Stage IV Lung Cancer Drug Metastatic Melanoma Cancer Drug

Topics of Interest Which kind of target cell therapy works more efficiently: small molecule approach or immunotherapy? Comparing small molecule target therapy to immunotherapy and seeing their comparative benefits in melanomas and leukemia

Works Cited erfactsfigures2016/index erfactsfigures2016/index Andrea L. Merrill, Suzanne B. Coopey, Rong Tang, Maureen P. McEvoy, Michele C. Specht, Kevin S. Hughes, Michelle A. Gadd, Barbara L. Smith. (2016) Implications of New Lumpectomy Margin Guidelines for Breast-Conserving Surgery: Changes in Reexcision Rates and Predicted Rates of Residual Tumor. Annals of Surgical Oncology 23, ent/ pdf.pdf