There are over 200 different types of cancer and survival rates vary dramatically. But what if we could use our own immune systems to fight cancer? Could we improve survival rates, particularly for harder to treat cancers such as melanomas and lung cancer? Immunologist David Morgan and pathologist Gareth Thomas look at the latest research in immunotherapy and its impact on cancer treatment. Chaired by Jo Revill, CEO of the British Society for Immunology.

Image credit: Anne Weston, LRI, CRUK, Wellcome Images

Speakers

David Morgan

David Morgan is a Reader in Immunology at the School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol and a member of the British Society for Immunology. Dr Morgan’s work aims to understand the mechanisms that control T cell, a type of white blood cell, responses to normal and cancerous tissues in order to identify how the body generates an immune response to cancers. He is also working on the development of new types of vaccination and other types of immune intervention to combat cancer.

Gareth Thomas

Gareth Thomas is Professor of Experimental Pathology at the University of Southampton, and a Consultant in Histopathology, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. His main area of research is understanding the role of the tumour microenvironment in cancer progression. His work examines how normal cells in the cancer, including T-cells and fibroblasts, affect tumour behaviour and how this impacts on clinical outcome. As well as identifying potential anti-cancer targets, these studies identify potential prognostic and predictive biomarkers that can help determine the type of therapy a cancer patient receives.

Jo Revill

Jo Revill is the chief executive of the British Society for Immunology (BSI), a charity which supports greater understanding of the immune system, and helps researchers, scientists and clinicians working in the field. She began her career as a health journalist with the London Evening Standard and the Observer, and in 2009 became adviser to Alan Johnson MP when he was Health Secretary. Before joining the BSI, she was head of strategic communications at the Royal College of Surgeons of England. She is also a trustee of the Science Media Centre and has written books on the rise in allergies and on pandemic flu.

Image credits: David Morgan – Will Strange