How immuno-oncologists are changing cancer care at Ohio State

Years of immunotherapy research are paying off with life-saving cancer treatments, while further innovation will harness the body’s defenses to continue to break new ground in this new frontier of health care.

When Sameek Roychowdhury, MD, PhD, began his career as a cancer physician and scientist in the early 2000s, the field of immuno-oncology was in its early stages and didn’t look incredibly promising. There were a few signs of progress, but researchers stayed the course.

“We needed a fine-tuned approach rather than a sledgehammer,” Roychowdhury says.

The turning point began with the successful completion of the human genome project in 2003. The ability to genetically sequence cancer tumors and find the specific mutations causing cancer was a game changer. Once mutations were identified, a challenge Roychowdhury describes as “finding a needle in a haystack,” effective immunotherapy drugs could then be developed.

Roychowdhury takes a deep dive into the OSUCCC – James' immunotherapy research and care on our Cancer-Free World Podcast. Watch on the video player above, or listen on SoundCloud.

Roychowdhury and his lab’s researchers at the OSUCCC – James have discovered new genetic mutations and collaborated with other Ohio State scientists and pharmaceutical companies to develop treatments and clinical trials that allow the body’s own immune system to detect and attack cancer cells that had been able to “hide” from more traditional therapies.

“Why do we harness the power of the immune system? It has memory, it’s adaptable, preventative and there are so many ways to utilize it to fight cancer and prevent cancer,” Roychowdhury says. “Everything we do — every project, every idea, every grant, every publication and clinical trial — starts and comes back to our patients.”

Click to learn more about cancer immunotherapy at the OSUCCC – James.

Immunotherapy has become a pillar of cancer care and research at Ohio State, where the OSUCCC – James’ Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology recently launched to house a dedicated team of experts focused on developing new treatments and techniques.

The efforts have enabled doctors to make significant progress, even for difficult-to-treat conditions, like lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths.

“I’ve seen lung cancer patients who have completed immunotherapy treatment and have had a beautiful response and normal quality of life,” says David Carbone, MD, PhD. “Years later, they’re still doing fine without any cancer therapy, which is something that was never really heard of in the old days.”

Click to learn more about cancer research at The Ohio State University.