The 2022 Kidney Cancer Research Summit

Dr. Laurence Albiges (Institut Gustave Roussy) presents on the microbiome at KCRS22. The microbiome has now been recognized as one of the emerging hallmarks and enabling characteristics of cancer.

KidneyCAN hosted the 4th Annual Kidney Cancer Research Summit on October 6-7, 2022  live in Philadelphia at Convene CityView (in the Duane Morris Plaza) and virtually via Zoom webinar.

KCRS is a meeting focused on basic science research, translational research, and clinical research in kidney cancer. This meeting is fueled by the ideas and research funded through the Department of Defense CDMRP-KCRP awards. KCRS gives the grant recipients, as well as other international leaders in kidney cancer research, the opportunity to gather and collaborate.

Spurring Breakthroughs

The two-day event began with a pre-conference session on genetics. The Genetic Consensus Conference was led by by Dr. Brian Shuch (UCLA) and Dr. Gennady Bratslavsky (SUNY). Speakers and participants included specialists in hereditary kidney cancers, to provide an update to the very comprehensive 2018 Journal of Clinical Oncology article “Genetic Predisposition to Renal Cell Carcinoma: Implications for Counseling, Testing, Screening, and Management.”

The formal program for KCRS22 began with a Fireside Chat with two leading researchers in immunotherapy at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Dr. Drew Pardoll and Dr. Suzanne Topalian. Dr. Pardoll and Dr. Topalian recalled fascinating anecdotes — some about their research, and some about their first date. They reviewed some of the more exciting developments in kidney cancer research but also took time to offer sound advice to junior researchers as they start their first jobs — specifically, to seek out supportive environments and look for programs with strong mentorship from senior leaders.

A Packed Program and All-Star Lineup

Another first-day highlight was a special session called Breaking Barriers to Trial Enrollment. In this panel led by Michael Atkins (Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center), leading experts discussed health disparities and under-represented populations in kidney cancer trial enrollment.  This session was enthusiastically received by attendees who had many great questions and insights during the discussion.

The second day of KCRS22 kicked off with Clinical and Scientific Updates in Kidney Cancer, presented by an all-star lineup of speakers:

Another highlight from the second day was a presentation by Dr. Andy Sewell. Professor Andrew Sewell is a distinguished Research Professor in the Division of Infection and Immunity at Cardiff University School of Medicine in the United Kingdom.

The research team at Cardiff, led by Professor Sewell, has discovered unconventional T-cells equipped with a new type of T-cell receptor (TCR) which recognizes and kills most human cancer types while ignoring healthy cells. The discovery holds out the tantalizing possibility of a universal approach to killing cancer.

You can view the full program, along with session slides and video, by visiting the KCRS website. You can also pre-register for KCRS23, which will take place on July 13-14 in Boston, MA.

Thank you to all who joined us at KCRS22, whether in person or online for the virtual presentation. Thank you for your support and for working with us to accelerate cures for kidney cancer.

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