While targeting T cells has proven to be a technically successful treatment protocol for most cancer immunotherapies, only a fraction of cancer patients respond to these interventions. Of late there has been a surge of interest in investigating the relatively underexplored innate immune system as a possible tool for therapeutic intervention. Innate immune effector cells, including natural killer cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells, have been shown to interact with cancers and inhibit their progression. Dissecting the molecular details of these interactions will aid in identifying cancer-derived intrinsic factors that can be exploited to be develop effective immunotherapy regimens. Our speakers will provide examples of how innate immunity pathways are involved in fighting cancer, and how these pathways might be co-opted to generate new treatments.
