10 top immuno-oncology innovations 2023, identified by the global R&D community
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The immune system plays a crucial role in recognizing and eliminating abnormal cells, including cancer cells. However, cancer can sometimes evade or suppress the immune response, allowing it to grow and spread. Immuno-oncology, also known as cancer immunotherapy, is a field of medicine that focuses on harnessing the power of the immune system to treat cancer.
Immunotherapy aims to enhance the immune system’s ability to recognise and attack cancer cells effectively. There are various types of immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell therapy, cancer vaccines, and cytokine therapies. These approaches either stimulate the immune system directly or remove the obstacles that prevent it from targeting cancer cells effectively.
Our academia-industry matchmaking platform, Connect, hosts 8,000+ innovations in development by academic teams at universities and research institutes from around the world who are looking to collaborate with innovation-driven companies. We’ve analysed the interaction and views data on our matchmaking platform from the last year to identify the 10 top immuno-oncology innovations that our industry audience is most interested in.
Our list of top immuno-oncology innovations has been generated through our latest Global Challenge campaign looking to uncover new research, technologies and assets that will lead to the development of new cancer immunotherapies, or improve the efficacy or availability of existing immunotherapies, through collaboration with industry
The immuno-oncology innovations included in this list are those that received the highest levels of engagement during the campaign from R&D professionals at companies including our industry campaign partners, MSD, Tocris Bioscience (a Bio-Techne brand), and Immunitas Therapeutics. The ranking considers three key metrics:
- The number of introduction requests from companies to the academic teams behind each project.
- Positive feedback from the companies reviewing them.
- Total article reads.
A full non-confidential summary of each of the top immuno-oncology innovations in the list can be viewed on our matchmaking platform through the links below each summary. Access to the platform is completely free for companies and there are no downstream fees associated with using it to connect with any of the 8,000 innovations showcased by the 250+ academic institutes subscribed.
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Navigate the 10 top immuno-oncology innovations for 2023
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10. Novel antibodies overcoming cancer resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors
9. Arming T cells for enhanced access to tumour tissue
8. Superior multi antigen patient-specificity in T cells
7. Boosting T-cells efficacy and persistence for cancer therapy
6. Reversing drug-resistance in prostate cancer
5. Drug-adapted cancer cell lines for novel immunotherapy targets discovery
4. Monoclonal Antibodies as a ‘First-In-Class’ therapeutic for Various Solid State Tumours
3. ‘Off-The-Shelf’ T-Cell Immunotherapies for BRAF V600E Mutation
2. Determining the effectiveness of CAR-T-cell Therapy with Multi-modal Omics Data
1. Molecular probe to sensitise cancer cells to chemotherapeutic damage
The basics of immuno-oncology
Immunotherapy has shown promising results in various types of cancer, leading to durable responses and improved survival rates in some patients. However, it is important to note that not all patients respond equally to immunotherapy, and ongoing research aims to better understand the factors that influence treatment response and develop more effective strategies.
Progress is being made in immuno-oncology by researchers across the world and this has had a significant impact on cancer treatment, offering new hope and improved outcomes for patients. The field of immuno-oncology is rapidly evolving, and ongoing research and advancements continue to expand the range of innovative treatments available.
One of the significant advancements in immuno-oncology is the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Immune checkpoints are molecules on immune cells that regulate the duration and strength of immune responses. Cancer cells can exploit these checkpoints to evade immune detection. Checkpoint inhibitors, such as drugs targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), block these checkpoints, allowing the immune system to mount a stronger response against cancer cells.
Top Immuno-oncology innovations
We’ve turned this list into a video if you would prefer to watch or listen to our top immuno-oncology innovations list. You can use the timestamps to navigate through the video to find those you’re most interested in, but to start a conversation with the team behind the project you will need to request an introduction through our platform.
10. Novel antibodies overcoming cancer resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors
Resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has been a significant setback for cancer patients, despite the overall impact of these therapies in the immuno-oncology field. Therefore, an unmet need to combat ICIs resistance and improve anti-tumor activity has arisen, particularly in the context of solid cancer treatment.
To address this issue, QIMR Berghofer researchers developed a panel of fully human anti-GAL9 monoclonal antibodies with a novel immune-synapse stabilising mechanism. This novel approach has already been validated in pre-clinical models of various tumours, including colorectal cancer and triple-negative breast cancer, demonstrating remarkable efficacy against previously resistant tumours. This will help establish the foundation for a viable solution for patients who experience limited efficacy with existing immunotherapies.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top immuno-oncology innovation feature.
9. Arming T cells to access tumour tissues
Targeting solid tumours remains a significant challenge in the field of immuno-oncology, primarily due to tumour heterogeneity, immune suppression, and limited access to tumour sites. There is a significant unmet need for new strategies that could enable therapeutics to act at the tumour target site.
To address this challenge, researchers at LMU Munich have developed a novel approach of arming T cells. By introducing specific tumour antigen-associated receptors into CAR-T cells, they have successfully enhanced therapeutic efficacy in previously resistant tumour models. This technology holds the potential to revolutionise the treatment landscape for solid cancers, including breast, lung, colon, and pancreatic cancer, by overcoming the initial barrier of tumour site accessibility and unlocking the full therapeutic potential.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top immuno-oncology innovation feature.
8. Superior multi-antigen patient-specificity in T cells
Genetic engineering has been used extensively in immuno-oncology cell therapies that target a specific tumour antigen. But its limitations in targeting heterogeneous tumours and the labour-intensive processes involved have escalated the need for a revolutionary approach.
To address this challenge, a team of scientists at George Washington University have developed a novel cell therapy manufacturing platform that activates immune cells against multiple patient-specific target antigens simultaneously, without the need for genetic engineering. By harnessing antigens released from tumour cells, this cutting-edge method offers exceptional benefits, including superior patient-specificity, and the ability to target numerous endogenous antigens. With its accelerated and cost-effective manufacturing timeline, this pioneering approach will provide a new foundation for developing cell therapies in the immuno-oncology field.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top immuno-oncology innovation feature.
7. Boosting T cell efficacy and persistence for more effective cancer therapies
CAR-T cell therapy has already transformed the treatment of blood cancers, but its efficacy against solid tumours remains a challenge. To overcome this barrier, novel strategies are needed to increase the T cells’ efficacy and ensure their persistence in fighting cancer and preventing its recurrence.
Through the use of genetic engineering, researchers at George Washington University have created therapeutic CD8+ T cells that overexpress COBRA-1. This increases the ability of the T cells to kill cancer cells while also extending their life span by preventing T cell exhaustion and increasing the number of memory T cells. This breakthrough should offer an innovative strategy to improve the effectiveness of any T cell therapy for any type of tumour.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top immuno-oncology innovation feature.
6. Reversing drug-resistance in prostate cancer
A leading strategy for treating prostate cancer relies on targeted androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). However, due to a resistance mechanism driven by the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-23 (IL-23), patients can develop resistance, making this therapy ineffective.
Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) have developed IL-23 inhibitors that specifically target refractory prostate cancer to address this resistance mechanism. Promising results from mouse studies have demonstrated the efficacy of IL-23-targeting agents in reversing ADT resistance. This strategy will offer new options for treating a significant number of patients with advanced, castration-resistant prostate cancer and raise hopes for better outcomes.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top immuno-oncology innovation feature.
5. Drug-adapted cancer cell lines for novel immunotherapy drug discovery
Although many cancers initially respond favourably to standard systemic anti-cancer treatments, resistant cancer cells can emerge over time. This leads to acquired resistance, which limits therapy efficacy and can eventually lead to therapy failure and patient death. As a result, cancer diseases that have developed resistance to available treatments represent an unmet clinical need.
A research team at the University of Kent are working to tackle this issue by establishing a collection of drug-adapted resistant cancer cell lines for the identification of resistance formation-associated neoantigens and novel immunotherapeutic drug targets. Since drug-related neoantigens are found in a large patient population due to the widespread use of various anti-cancer drugs across different cancer types, this approach has the potential to enable tumour-agnostic immune therapy strategies.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top immuno-oncology innovation feature.
4. First-in-class monoclonal antibodies to treat a variety of solid state tumours
Current treatments for numerous cancer types cover a myriad of biological and synthetic processes that can be leveraged and implemented in order to treat patients. One such method is the use of monoclonal antibodies (MABs). These artificially created antibodies are designed to act as a targeted drug therapy by mimicking a naturally occurring antibody in the body, and presenting itself as multiple copies of it in order to attack a specific cellular target and present a therapeutic effect.
Ongoing collaborations between researchers at Lund University and the Centre for Molecular and Translational Oncology of Parma University have identified a promising series of MABs that have huge immuno-oncology implications as a first-in-class therapeutic for several cancer types including breast, ovarian, colon and pancreatic cancer. This novel research pools together over 18 years of data collection to provide a series of specially selected MABs that target proteins secreted by several types of cancer cells
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top immuno-oncology innovation feature.
3. Off-the-shelf T-Cell immunotherapies for BRAF V600E mutations
It is widely accepted in cancer biology that the onset of most types of cancer can be caused by random mutations in particular genes during cell division. One such mutation is the V600E mutation. Present in 3% of all recorded cancers, this mutation occurs in the BRAF gene and specifically causes the cells to continuously divide further than what is needed, leading to the development of cancer. Despite this, current immuno-oncology therapies for BRAF V600E mutation cancers are often nonspecific or have limited efficacy due to acquired resistance.
Research undertaken by a team at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has identified two promising T cell receptors (TCRs) that have been shown to specifically target the BRAF V600E mutation. Going forward, this new approach should alleviate the absence of more specific treatments for this common mutation and provide a more accessible off-the-shelf therapy.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top immuno-oncology innovation feature.
2. Determining the effectiveness of CAR-T cell therapies with muli-modal omics data
CAR-T cell therapies have a 93% remission rate in some rare forms of blood cancer but their efficacy in solid tumour treatment is yet to be fully proven. This could be a monumental breakthrough in immuno-oncology if researchers are able to harness CAR-T for the treatment of solid tumours and produce similar levels of remission that have been shown in blood cancers.
Researchers at Nottingham Trent University, utilising world-leading expertise in gene expression, have created a platform for analysing patient-specific tumour microenvironments and visualising CAR-T cells’ infiltration at the tumour site. Their platform allows the effectiveness of CAR-T cell therapy to be determined, and aids the discovery of new targets for CAR-T cells to further improve this high-potential immunotherapy.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top immuno-oncology innovation feature.
1. A molecular probe to sensitise cancer cells to chemotherapeutic damage
ADP-ribosyltransferases are a group of enzymes involved in a process within the body that modifies proteins, affecting their activity and stability. This process also affects proteins within cancer cells and is a major factor in their survival.
Researchers at the University of Oulu have discovered a new molecule that acts as a chemical probe, sensitising cancerous cells to DNA damage from chemotherapeutics without affecting the survival of surrounding healthy cells within the body. This new immuno-oncology approach improves the activity of chemotherapeutics in the destruction of cancerous cells, specifically in leukaemia.
Read the full project summary to learn more about this top immuno-oncology innovation feature.
Key immuno-oncology approaches
Revolutionary immune checkpoint inhibitors work by blocking the signals that cancer cells use to evade the immune system. The most well-known immune checkpoint inhibitors target proteins such as programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4). This type of Immunotherapy has shown remarkable success in treating various cancers, including melanoma, lung cancer, and bladder cancer. They have significantly improved overall survival and long-term responses in some patients.
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy involves modifying a patient’s own T cells in the laboratory to express a synthetic receptor called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). The CAR is designed to recognize specific proteins on cancer cells and trigger an immune response against them. This personalized therapy has demonstrated remarkable success in treating certain types of blood cancers, such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). CAR T-cell therapies like Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) and Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel) have been approved by regulatory agencies for use in specific indications.
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy involves isolating immune cells called lymphocytes from a patient’s tumor, expanding them in the laboratory, and then reinfusing them back into the patient. These TILs have already been primed to recognize and attack cancer cells. This approach has shown promise in treating metastatic melanoma, with some patients experiencing durable responses. TIL therapy is still under investigation and is currently available in select medical centers as part of clinical trials.
Limitations of immuno-oncology
While immuno-oncology has shown remarkable success in treating certain cancers, it also has several limitations and challenges.
Not all patients react equally to immuno-oncology treatments, with patients experiencing a range of responses. The factors influencing treatment response are complex and still not fully understood which is a significant challenge for researchers. Tumour heterogeneity, immune system dysfunction, and the presence of immune-suppressive mechanisms within the tumour microenvironment can all contribute to the variability in treatment outcomes, including the toxicities and side effects associated with immuno-oncology therapies.
Advancements in genomics and biomarker research will enable more personalised approaches to immuno-oncology, tailoring treatments to individual patients based on their tumor characteristics, immune profiles, and genetic makeup. Predictive biomarkers and companion diagnostic tests will help identify patients who are most likely to respond to specific immuno-oncology therapies, optimizing treatment selection and improving outcomes.
However, these more personalised treatments are expensive due to their complexity, personalized nature, and the high costs associated with research and development. This can limit access to these treatments, particularly in healthcare systems with limited resources. Expanding access and affordability of immuno-oncology therapies remains a significant challenge.
Another challenge for researchers to overcome is the mechanisms to evade or resist immune attack that cancer cells can develop over time. This can lead to relapse or progression of the disease despite an initial positive response to immuno-oncology therapies. Researchers are studying the mechanisms of resistance and exploring combination therapies, immunomodulatory agents, and strategies to reprogram the immune system to overcome resistance. Innovative approaches, such as oncolytic viruses, nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, and engineered immune cells, hold promise for enhancing immune responses against solid tumours.
Combination approaches involving multiple immuno-oncology treatments, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR T-cell therapy, and cancer vaccines, are expected to play a crucial role. By targeting different aspects of the immune response and tumour biology simultaneously, combination therapies have the potential to enhance treatment efficacy and overcome resistance. Identifying the most effective combinations and optimizing their sequencing and timing will be an area of intense research.
The future of immuno-oncology
The development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies will continue to expand the repertoire of immuno-oncology treatments. This includes the exploration of bispecific antibodies, immune agonists, adoptive cell therapies beyond CAR-T cells, and the use of microbiome-based interventions to modulate immune responses. These emerging therapies have the potential to broaden the scope of immuno-oncology and provide new avenues for treatment.
Immuno-oncology has the potential to extend beyond cancer treatment. It may find applications in other diseases, such as autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, and regenerative medicine. Harnessing the power of the immune system to address a broader range of conditions is an exciting frontier for future research.
The future of immuno-oncology is characterised by a multidisciplinary approach, personalised treatments, and a deeper understanding of the interactions between the immune system and cancer. Continued research, technological advancements, and clinical trials will contribute to unlocking new possibilities and improving outcomes for cancer patients.
Written by Frances Wilkinson. Edited by Alex Stockham and Jake Mitchell.
Technology summaries written by: Dagmara Szmaglinska (10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5), Nathan Ford (4, 3) and Daisy Gillott (1, 2).
Copyrights reserved unless otherwise agreed – IN-PART Publishing Ltd., 2023: ‘10 top immuno-oncology innovations 2023, identified by the global R&D community’
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