Can immune signals in blood predict ICI response in early-stage HR+ breast cancer? A new study with contributions from Elizabeth Mittendorf and Eliezer Van Allen links CD8 T cell turnover, IFN activity in B cells & monocyte shifts to outcomes: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Immune recovery after transplant may rely less on the thymus & more on choosing the right stem cells. A PICI-supported @nature.com study identifies a unique group of blood-forming stem cells that improve immune rebuilding after transplant: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

What if one cell therapy could seed another? A Phase I @nature.com ‬study by @dgsomucla.bsky.social shows HSCs can be engineered to make tumor-targeting T cells—unlocking durable, self-renewing immunity. www.nature.com/articles/s41... #CancerImmunotherapy #CellTherapy #TCRT

What if tumors helped the immune system destroy them? A new PICI-supported study by @ucsanfrancisco.bsky.social & @washumedicine.bsky.social shows ATG9A-deficient tumors are vulnerable to macrophages. Add Trastuzumab + CSF1Ri? Full regression—no T cells: nature.com/articles/s41...

Can a common autoimmune drug help reverse a serious side effect of cancer immunotherapy? A new PICI-supported @uclahealth.org study says maybe yes. JAK inhibitors may prevent or even reverse type 1 diabetes caused by checkpoint inhibitors. (1/2)

Congratulations to @pelkalab.bsky.social (@gladstoneinst.bsky.social) on receiving the 2025 @aaas.org Martin and Rose Wachtel Cancer Research Award. Her paradigm-shifting work in colorectal cancer is shaping the way we understand and potentially treat solid tumors. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

At #FOCIS2025, PICI President of Research Ira Mellman, PhD, delivered a keynote on how decades of discovery are rapidly becoming durable treatments — from checkpoint inhibitors and dendritic cells to cancer vaccines and engineered T cells.

KRAS mutations are among the most common—and hardest—targets in solid tumors. A new study from @pennmedicine.bsky.social introduces NeoCARs: T cells engineered to target mutant KRAS (G12V) via pMHC. IL-12 armoring + TCR knockout boost potency and safety: doi.org/10.1016/j.cc...

Thrilled to celebrate our CEO, @‪drkarenknudsen.bsky.social‬ as a 2025 CNBC Changemaker! From NIH research to the American Cancer Society to leading PICI, her mission: get innovation to those who need it most. Learn more: www.cnbc.com/2025/06/18/c... #Changemaker #CancerResearch

120+ minds. 3 days. 1 mission. At the PICI Spring Scientific Retreat, we aligned on what’s next in cancer immunotherapy. From AI to predictive biomarkers & smarter cell therapies, we’re moving breakthroughs from bench to bedside with urgency & purpose. Full recap: www.parkerici.org/the-latest/d...

PICI Investigator @judithagudo.bsky.social, PhD, was recognized with the 2025 CRI Lloyd J. Old STAR Award, one of immuno-oncology’s highest honors from the Cancer Research Institute (CRI). Congratulations, Dr. Agudo! www.cancerresearch.org/media-room/2...

“Why stop now, when we haven’t yet realized immunotherapy’s full potential?” In @natrevdrugdiscov.nature.com, Ira Mellman, PhD, President of Research at PICI, shares what’s next in Immunotherapy — from curative cell therapies to smarter T cells. 🔗 nature.com/articles/d41... #Immunotherapy #Cancer

Congratulations to Anusha Kalbasi, MD, PICI Investigator at @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social, on receiving the 2025 CRI Lloyd J. Old STAR Award. By advancing cell therapies for tough cancers, he is translating science into hope for patients who need it most. www.cancerresearch.org/media-room/2...

At #ASCO25, PICI CEO @drkarenknudsen.bsky.social spoke with @endpts.com ‬about how PICI is accelerating trials, investing in AI & protecting progress as funding comes under threat. → Full conversation: events.endpts.com/asco25/on-de...

Celebrating Dr. Elizabeth Mittendorf, Co-Director of the PICI Center at Dana-Farber, on her election as @ASCO President for 2026–27! Her work is advancing cancer care. 🎧 Hear more: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/f... 🔗 Read more: www.onclive.com/view/dr-mitt... #ASCO #Immunotherapy #PICIProud

THIS MORNING: PICI CEO @drkarenknudsen.bsky.social joins @endpts.com at #ASCO2025 to discuss PICI’s evolving model and the imperative to align research, policy and investment with the realities facing patients today. Register and watch live at 10:35 am CDT: events.endpts.com/asco25

Read this Endpoints article for insights on multiple glioblastoma study findings presented at #ASCO2025 with key contributions from Marcela Maus, MD, PhD (Massachusetts General Hospital), as well as Carl June, MD and Donald O’Rourke, MD (‪@pennmedicine.bsky.social)

David Barbie, MD, presents insights from the phase 3 ADRIATIC trial, examining clinical and molecular traits of early progressors and long-term survivors using durvalumab vs placebo after chemoradiotherapy in limited-stage small-cell lung cancer. #ASCO25

Today at #ASCO2025, @drkarenknudsen.bsky.social, CEO of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, receives the Allen S. Lichter Visionary Leader Award—recognizing a career dedicated to turning bold research into real patient impact. 9:45 AM–12:00 PM CDT | Hall B1 parkerici.org/asco2025 (1/3)

Tomorrow at #ASCO2025, @drkarenknudsen.bsky.social, CEO of PICI, will receive the Allen S. Lichter Visionary Leader Award—one of oncology’s highest recognitions. From leading the American Cancer Society to advancing @parkerici.bsky.social, her work exemplifies bold science and strategic leadership.

PICI Network Highlights: Today at #ASCO2025, Oral Abstract 2008 presents CARv3‑TEAM‑E for recurrent GBM. Time 5:09–5:21 PM CDT | Room S406, McCormick Place. PICI investigator Marcela Maus, MD, PhD (Mass General) and colleagues are re‑arming T cells to outwit GBM heterogeneity. (1/2)

The @ascocancer.bsky.social Annual Meeting starts Friday in Chicago. PICI highlights include: → Top ASCO honor for @drkarenknudsen.bsky.social → Promising glioblastoma advances → 50+ oral sessions, posters, e-papers & a clinical science symposium See more: www.parkerici.org/the-latest/a...

Prozac‑class SSRIs just boosted tumor‑fighting T cells. Cell data: blocking SERT with fluoxetine or citalopram halves tumor size in 5 models and deepens PD‑1 response, clearing some melanomas and colon tumors. High SERT predicts poorer survival—now a druggable checkpoint. Study 👉 bit.ly/4jaJ59H

At #STATBreakthroughWest, PICI CEO @drkarenknudsen.bsky.social joined ASCO, MGB & @statnews.com to discuss how AI must move from hype to impact. From RADIOHEAD to Xaira Tx, the PICI Network is using AI + biology to speed trials and move bold science toward cures. www.statnews.com/2025/05/16/c...

We’re building a model to move science faster to patient impact. That’s why we’re proud to be featured at the 7th Annual Emerging Frontiers in Oncology on May 22, which explores how science, capital & clinical urgency are reshaping oncology. Sign up and learn more: emergingfrontiersoncology.com

Study from PICI investigator Nina Bhardwaj, MD, PhD shows promise for combining personalized neoantigen vaccines w/ immunotherapy in bladder cancer. In Phase 1 trial, all treated patients had T-cell responses & most remained recurrence-free or had measurable response. www.nature.com/articles/s43...

Can a side effect reveal who benefits from immunotherapy? The first paper from PICI’s RADIOHEAD cohort—following 1,070 real-world, immunotherapy-naïve patients—confirms that irAEs are strongly associated with longer survival. #RealWorldEvidence

PICI and Friends of Cancer Research co-led a DC workshop with @fda.gov, academic, industry & advocacy leaders to accelerate access to cell therapies. → Speed matters—at every step → Collaboration must come early → Innovation will stall without new models Watch: www.youtube.com/live/hkQfiGW...

The new issue of The Immuno-Oncology Digest is live—featuring national honors and presentations for PICI leaders, and a first-in-human melanoma vaccine trial with 94% one-year survival. Plus: new targets, immune profiling & translational progress. us15.campaign-archive.com?u=9859ebd3ae...

Congrats to @ejohnwherry.bsky.social, PhD—pioneer of T cell exhaustion and checkpoint biology—on his election to the National Academy of Sciences. A well-earned honor for work that continues to drive immunotherapy forward. www.nasonline.org/news/2025-na... #NAS2025

PICI CEO @drkarenknudsen.bsky.social spoke to @washingtonpost.com about how immunotherapy could improve quality of life for patients with mismatch repair-deficient GI cancers. Study by @mskcancercenter.bsky.social in @nejm.org: www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Few cancers rob children & young adults of time like Ewing sarcoma. New research in Scientific Reports, led by PICI Investigator Beatriz Carreno, PhD (UPenn), with Gerald Linette, MD, PhD, and Carl June, MD, identifies LOXHD1 as a tumor-specific immunotherapy target. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A first-in-human study demonstrates personalized neoantigen vaccines can be reliably manufactured, safely delivered & successfully induce immune responses in high-risk melanoma. Led by F. Stephen Hodi, MD, Co-Director for the PICI Center at @danafarber.bsky.social: aacrjournals.org/cancerimmuno...

@theaacr.bsky.social is almost here, and the PICI Network is turning up the volume with 80+ presentations, posters and more. Bold science, fresh ideas and radical collaboration are driving the future of cancer immunotherapy. Download PICI's AACR 2025 meeting guide: www.parkerici.org/the-latest/p...

NEW PODCAST: Kole Roybal, PhD, Director of the PICI Center at UCSF, is engineering T cells that do more than fight—they respond, adapt and evolve. In the latest From Bench to Fireside, he and PICI’s John Connolly, PhD, discuss the science behind smart cell therapies.

PICI proudly celebrates Crystal Mackall, MD, Director of the PICI Center at @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social, who has earned three prestigious recognitions: the @AACR Lloyd J. Old Award, inclusion in the @statnews.com STATUS List of healthcare innovators, and the IO360° Lifetime Achievement Award.

Welcome, Ira Mellman, PhD, as PICI's President of Research! An immunotherapy visionary, he helped drive breakthrough therapies at Genentech. Now his scientific expertise will help support PICI's network, strengthen collaborations & accelerate paradigm-shifting discoveries. bit.ly/4jwGK9H

The Immuno-Oncology Digest opens with PICI’s new CEO, @drkarenknudsen.bsky.social, alongside advances in personalized vaccines, CAR T & more. Together, these developments reflect PICI’s growing momentum at a critical moment for cancer immunotherapy. us15.campaign-archive.com?u=9859ebd3ae...

Read more in @forbes.com, where Dr. Knudsen shares her vision for PICI’s future and Sean Parker, PICI Founder and Chairman, explains why now is the moment to scale bold science that could reshape the trajectory of cancer: www.forbes.com/sites/alexkn... (2/2)

At a time when public research funding is under pressure, PICI is doubling down on our founding vision by championing bold science and accelerating breakthrough immunotherapies. We’re proud to welcome @drkarenknudsen.bsky.social as CEO to help lead the charge. (1/2)

Join us in welcoming @DrKarenKnudsen.bsky.social as PICI's Chief Executive Officer! A visionary in oncology, healthcare delivery & nonprofit strategy, Dr. Knudsen embodies the values that define PICI: scientific rigor, bold thinking & a commitment to transformative patient impact. (1/3)

What’s next in immuno-oncology? PICI CSO John Connolly, PhD, joins Vanguards of Health Care podcast from @bloomberglp.bsky.social to talk: → Making CAR T more effective for solid tumors → Rethinking the tumor microenvironment → The promise of cancer vaccines www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2...

What if a “mistake” made tumors easier to find? New PICI-funded study from co-first author @cmcginnis92 at @stanfordmedicine shows that removing TYW2 scrambles protein translation—producing signals that help the immune system detect and attack cancer. 🔗 www.cell.com/cancer-cell/...

In a Phase 1 trial led by Nina Bhardwaj, MD, PhD (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai), PGV001—a personalized neoantigen vaccine—kept 3 patients tumor-free for 5 years. Personalized vaccines like this may offer lasting protection. Learn more: www.mountsinai.org/about/newsro... #PICInetwork

PICI Podcast Alert––If you’re not listening to From Bench to Fireside this season, you’re missing some of the most consequential conversations in cancer research:

Congrats Owen Witte, MD, Co-Director of the PICI Center at UCLA, on receiving the 2025 #HarringtonPrize for Innovation in Medicine! His discoveries in tyrosine kinase inhibitors & immunotherapy have shaped cancer treatment, leading to advances in leukemia, lymphoma & prostate cancer.

Before you come see The CheckPoints perform at the #AACR25 Annual Reception in Chicago next month, learn more about each of the cancer researchers and oncologists who make up this cover band: www.aacr.org/blog/2025/03... #AACRBlog

The mid-March issue of The Immuno-Oncology Digest has arrived! Discover exclusive insights on next-gen #CARTtherapies, innovative research tools and honors for leading investigators: mailchi.mp/parkerici/th... #CancerResearch #Immunotherapy #PICInetwork

CAR T-cell therapy isn’t just a breakthrough—it’s a lifeline. A new PICI-supported review in @MolTherapy by Carl June, MD, Director of the PICI Center at @PennMedicine, and team traces the decades of research that made engineered immune cells a powerful cancer treatment. cell.com/molecular-th...

Don't miss PICI Investigator Hideho Okada, MD, PhD (@ucsfhealth) present novel T-cell immunotherapy strategies for resistant gliomas at #CIMT2025. Can i-o crack glioblastoma's notorious defense systems? Find out May 12-14 at Europe's Cancer Immunotherapy Meeting. Register: www.meeting.cimt.eu