Cancer immunotherapy, particularly Immune Checkpoint Blockades (ICBs) based on anti-programmed death 1 antibody (anti-PD-1), has revolutionized cancer treatment, marking a paradigm shift in oncology. However, the excitement surrounding these advancements is tempered by clinical data revealing that not all patients experience the dramatic benefits observed with ICBs. Many patients derive either short-term benefits or no benefits at all, underscoring the need for strategies to extend the reach of immunotherapy. To address this challenge, immuno-oncology research explores combinations of ICBs and other anti-cancer therapies. Although numerous ICB combinations have been evaluated in clinical trials, they often yield modest survival benefits accompanied by significant toxicities. Effective combination approaches should involve pairing multiple ICBs and integrating small molecules that target crucial pathways within cancer cells or immunosuppressive factors within the tumor microenvironment. The immune landscape of tumors, distinguishing between "cold" immune desert tumors unresponsive to ICBs and "hot" inflamed immune-infiltrated tumors that respond favorably, emerges as a critical determinant of ICB efficacy. This seminar presents pathways and strategies for reprogramming the tumor immune landscape, converting "cold" tumors into "hot" ones. Furthermore, I will provide preclinical evidence supporting the efficacy of combining small molecules targeting tumor cell pathways with ICBs to enhance therapeutic outcomes. 

About Bassam Janji

Dr. Bassam JANJI earned his PhD in Oncology from the University of Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris. He then joined the prominent “Institut Curie” in Paris for a Postdoctoral fellowship, funded by the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, focusing on the role of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases in the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition of tumor cells. In 2004, he relocated to Luxembourg and became a researcher at the Public Research Center of Health, now known as the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), where he investigated the role of actin cytoskeleton remodeling in tumor resistance to therapies.

In 2007, Dr. Janji initiated a groundbreaking research program at the Experimental Cancer Research laboratory, dedicated to exploring the impact of hypoxic stress within the tumor microenvironment on the regulation of anti-tumor immune responses. After obtaining his HDR (Habilitation to lead Research) diploma from the University of Paris-Saclay in 2011, Dr. Janji was promoted to senior researcher and, in 2015, assumed the role of Deputy Head of the Experimental Cancer Research laboratory. In 2019, Dr. Janji was appointed as the head of the Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) research group within the Department of Cancer Research at the Luxembourg Institute of Health. His profound expertise in the tumor microenvironment and tumor immunity is internationally recognized through numerous research articles and book chapters. Dr. Janji also serves as a scientific advisor for biotech companies, an expert for various funding agencies, and holds executive editorial roles in several scientific journals. He is frequently invited as a speaker at international conferences across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Gulf countries in the field of cancer research and therapy.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Janji+Bassam

Contact at GIGA : Akeila Bellahcene