MD Anderson Experts Spotlight Key Immunotherapy Advances at 2025 SITC Annual Meeting – Oncodaily

Report on Immunotherapy Innovations and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

This report summarizes key research findings in cancer immunotherapy presented by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center at the 2025 Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Annual Meeting. The advancements detailed herein directly support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by seeking to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases. Furthermore, the research leverages cutting-edge technology and scientific discovery, reflecting the principles of SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

Key Research Findings Advancing Global Health Targets

The following research initiatives highlight significant progress toward achieving SDG 3.4, which aims to reduce premature mortality from cancer through prevention and treatment.

1. Cancer Prevention and Early Interception

   • Focus Area: Immunoprevention strategies for lung cancer.
   • Lead Researcher: Jianjun Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.
   • Summary: Research is focused on manipulating the immune landscape in precancerous lung tissue to delay or prevent tumor formation. By mapping immune system changes in the pre-tumor stage, this work aims to design effective immunoprevention therapies.
   • SDG Alignment: This proactive approach directly addresses cancer prevention, a critical component of SDG 3.4, representing a significant innovation in global health strategies.

2. Enhancing Treatment Efficacy and Personalization

   Microbiome Modulation for Improved Immunotherapy Response

   • Lead Researcher: Jennifer Wargo, M.D.
   • Summary: Evidence demonstrates that patients with diverse gut microbiomes respond better to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Novel approaches, including diet interventions and synthetic microbiome therapies, are being explored to improve treatment outcomes.
   • SDG Alignment: This research contributes to more effective and personalized treatments, promoting well-being and better health outcomes as outlined in SDG 3.

   AI-Powered Imaging for Predictive Biomarkers

   • Lead Researcher: Stephane Champiat, M.D., Ph.D.
   • Summary: Artificial intelligence and radiomics are being used to analyze images and uncover non-invasive biomarkers. This can predict patient response to immunotherapy, identify potential toxicities, and improve clinical trial design.
   • SDG Alignment: The integration of AI represents a technological innovation under SDG 9 that directly enhances the capacity for precise and effective healthcare, supporting the goals of SDG 3.

   B-Cell Biology and Durable Treatment Responses

   • Lead Researcher: Alessandra Vaccaro, Ph.D.
   • Summary: The study explores how B-cell driven immunity, particularly the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures, shapes stronger and more durable responses to immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
   • SDG Alignment: By aiming to boost durable responses, this research directly contributes to reducing cancer mortality and improving long-term health, aligning with SDG 3.4.

3. Overcoming Immunotherapy Resistance

   Novel Therapies for Advanced Lung Cancer

   • Lead Researcher: Xiuning Le, M.D., Ph.D.
   • Summary: Final results from the Phase III HARMONi-A trial demonstrate improved overall survival with ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy for patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC whose disease has progressed.
   • SDG Alignment: This finding addresses a critical gap in treatment options, offering a new approach to extend survival for patients with resistant cancers, a core objective of SDG 3.4.

   Leveraging mRNA Vaccines for “Cold” Tumors

   • Lead Researcher: Adam Grippin, M.D., Ph.D.
   • Summary: mRNA vaccine technology has been shown to activate immune cells against tumors that previously resisted immunotherapy. The vaccines can transform immunologically “cold” tumors, making them vulnerable to immune checkpoint inhibitors.
   • SDG Alignment: This innovation expands the reach of effective cancer treatments to a broader patient population, enhancing the global effort to ensure healthy lives for all (**SDG 3**).

   Understanding Mechanisms of Immune Evasion

   • Lead Researcher: Dustin McCurry, M.D.
   • Summary: Researchers identified a pathway where oncogenic mutations in ASXL1 allow leukemia cells to hide from the immune system. Using CRISPR gene editing to correct the mutation restored the cancer cells’ visibility to immune attack.
   • SDG Alignment: This fundamental discovery provides new targets for therapies designed to overcome treatment resistance, contributing to the goal of reducing cancer mortality (**SDG 3.4**).

4. Investigating the Tumor Microenvironment

   Neural Signaling and Immune Activity

   • Lead Researcher: Moran Amit, M.D., Ph.D.
   • Summary: Research highlights how the nervous system is a critical component of the tumor microenvironment, with neural activity shaping immune cell behavior, tumor growth, and response to immunotherapy.
   • SDG Alignment: By exploring nerve-immune interactions, this work aims to uncover new therapeutic strategies, fostering the innovation (**SDG 9**) required to meet global health goals (**SDG 3**).

   Synergistic Combination of Radiation and Immunotherapy

   • Lead Researcher: Robert Saddawi-Konefka, M.D., Ph.D.
   • Summary: Lymphatic-sparing radiotherapy was found to reprogram dendritic cells, which are key to activating anti-tumor immunity. This approach, when followed by immunotherapy, produced durable tumor control and immunologic memory.
   • SDG Alignment: This study demonstrates how combining existing therapies can create more effective treatments, optimizing healthcare resources to improve patient outcomes in line with SDG 3.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   The article is fundamentally centered on advancing human health. It details extensive research and clinical trials aimed at improving cancer treatment, preventing the disease, and ultimately enhancing patient survival and quality of life. The entire focus on immunotherapy, personalized medicine, and understanding cancer biology directly contributes to the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being.

2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   The article showcases cutting-edge scientific innovation and the research infrastructure that supports it. It highlights the use of advanced technologies like “AI-based imaging,” “mRNA vaccine technology,” and “CRISPR gene editing.” The work conducted at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, described as a leading institution for cancer research, exemplifies the enhancement of scientific research and technological capabilities, which is a core component of this goal.

3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   The context of the article, which is the presentation of research at the “2025 Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Annual Meeting,” points to the importance of partnerships. This event serves as a platform for scientists and clinicians to “share knowledge, expertise, [and] technology.” Furthermore, the mention of MD Anderson being a “National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center” and receiving an “NCI support grant” highlights a crucial public partnership to advance a common goal.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
     
     Explanation: Cancer is a primary non-communicable disease (NCD). The article directly addresses this target by discussing strategies to “prevent cancer before it starts” and developing more effective treatments to “improve patient outcomes.” The HARMONi-A trial, which “demonstrate[s] improved survival” for lung cancer patients, is a clear example of working towards reducing premature mortality from cancer.
   • Target 3.b: Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non-communicable diseases…
     
     Explanation: The article is a comprehensive overview of research and development in oncology. It explicitly mentions the development of “mRNA vaccine technology” to treat tumors, the trial of a “novel PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody” (ivonescimab), and the exploration of “synthetic microbiome therapies,” all of which fall under the R&D of new medicines for NCDs.

2. Under SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries… encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers…
     
     Explanation: The article is a testament to enhanced scientific research. It details numerous innovative approaches, from using “radiomics and artificial intelligence (AI)-based image analysis” to predict patient responses to understanding how “neural signaling and microbiome composition play critical roles” in treatment resistance. The mention of multiple researchers (Drs. Wargo, Zhang, Le, etc.) and “nearly 30 abstracts and lectures” being presented underscores the significant number of R&D workers involved.

3. Under SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.16: Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources…
     
     Explanation: The SITC Annual Meeting is a multi-stakeholder partnership that facilitates the sharing of knowledge and expertise among the global cancer research community. The article notes that “MD Anderson scientists and clinicians will present nearly 30 abstracts and lectures,” contributing to this collective pool of knowledge.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For SDG 3 (Target 3.4)

   • Indicator (Implied): Mortality rate from cancer (related to official indicator 3.4.1).
     
     Explanation: The article provides direct evidence for measuring progress in reducing cancer mortality. The mention of “final overall survival results from the Phase III HARMONi-A trial” is a specific, measurable outcome that tracks patient survival. The goal of achieving “durable tumor control and immunologic memory” also serves as a proxy for long-term survival and reduced mortality.

2. For SDG 9 (Target 9.5)

   • Indicator (Implied): Number of scientific and technical publications and patents (related to innovation).
     
     Explanation: The article mentions that findings were “published in Nature” and presented via “Abstract 1348,” “Abstract 709,” etc., at a major scientific conference. The presentation of “nearly 30 abstracts and lectures” is a direct measure of research output and knowledge dissemination, which are key indicators of innovation and scientific activity.
   • Indicator (Implied): Research and development expenditure (related to official indicator 9.5.1).
     
     Explanation: While no specific dollar amounts are given, the article implies significant R&D investment by stating that MD Anderson “receives a cancer center support grant from the NCI of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).” This grant is a direct financial indicator of support for research infrastructure and activities.

3. For SDG 17 (Target 17.16)

   • Indicator (Implied): Number of multi-stakeholder partnerships and knowledge-sharing platforms.
     
     Explanation: The article identifies the “Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Annual Meeting” and the “European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress” as platforms for sharing research. These conferences serve as qualitative and quantitative indicators of partnerships and collaboration within the scientific community to advance global health goals.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: oncodaily.com