April 6
@
12:00 PM
–
1:00 PM
Bench-to-Bedside Engineering of Precision Immunotherapy Paradigms with Focused Ultrasound
Natasha Sheybani, PhD
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Research Director at UVA Focused Ultrasound
Immuno-Oncology (FUSION) Center
University of Virginia
Abstract:
Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, but significant limitations remain across solid tumor indications. This talk will highlight advances in the use of image-guided focused ultrasound (FUS) as a non-invasive, multi-pronged interventional tool for potentiating multiple classes of immunotherapy, including vaccine adjuvants, checkpoint inhibitors, and CAR T cells. We will showcase integration of non-invasive surveillance approaches such as positron emission tomography (PET) and liquid biopsy with FUS to inform precision, adaptation, and de-intensification of combinatorial treatment regimens. We will also showcase development of novel image-guided ultrasound instrumentation toward these objectives. Applications spanning high-risk breast cancer and adult/pediatric brain cancers will be discussed. Finally, this talk will overview clinical translation and insights from first-in-human trials investigating FUS for immuno-oncology applications.
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