iwCAR-T Session V: Advances in head & neck and CNS cancers

The 5th International Workshop on CAR-T (iwCAR-T) took place in Scottsdale, AZ, on 14 – 16 April 2023, and brought together world-leading experts in CAR-T therapy as they discussed the latest in the field. In this podcast series, you will gain an insight into the sessions that took place at this year’s meeting, which covered the latest updates in CAR-T therapy in solid tumors, as well as associated challenges.   In this episode, Kedar Kirtane, MD, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, Rizwan Romee, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, and Jong Chul Park, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, share their insights on potential therapies for head and neck cancer, focusing on combination treatments and novel therapeutics. Topics discussed include the use of memory-like NK cells in combination with long-acting IL-15 and checkpoint inhibitors for enhanced efficacy, as well as the advantages of NK cell-based therapies over traditional T cell-based CAR treatments, including reduced side effects and increased responsiveness to tumor cells. In addition, the discussion explores strategies to overcome challenges, such as immune suppressive phenotypes and tumor microenvironments.