Keynote Presentation: CD28 co-stimulation: A central player in effective cancer immunotherapy w/ Live Q&A

Significant progress in understanding T cell signalling, particularly with respect to T cell co-receptors such as the co-stimulatory receptor CD28, has been made in recent years. This knowledge has been instrumental in the development of innovative immunotherapies for patients with cancer, including immune checkpoint blockade antibodies, adoptive cell therapies, tumor-targeted immunostimulatory antibodies, and immunostimulatory small-molecule drugs that regulate T cell activation. Following the failed clinical trial of a CD28 superagonist antibody in 2006, targeted CD28 agonism has recently re-emerged as a technologically viable and clinically promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy. In this keynote address, Dr. Olejniczak will provide foundational background for understanding the roles of CD28 co-stimulation in cancer immunotherapy, highlighting the contributions of his lab to this growing field of study. Seminal work linking CD28 to the clinical success of immune checkpoint inhibitor and CAR T cell therapies will be discussed in the context of co-receptor signaling paradigms, as will future prospects for leveraging CD28 co-receptor signaling to improve cancer immunothrapy. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Gain a basic understanding of how CD28 regulates T cell responses.

2. Understand how CD28 co-stimulation contributes to the success of cancer immunotherapy.

3. Appreciate the opportunities and challenges of leveraging CD28 signaling for cancer immunotherapy.