SIO Announces First Grants in Interventional Oncology / Immuno-Oncology Research Programme

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The Society of Interventional Oncology (SIO), a global organization working to nurture and support interventional oncology worldwide, and global specialist healthcare company BTG plc announce their 2017 Interventional Oncology / Immuno-Oncology research grant recipients.

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The grant recipients will be recognised in the welcoming address at the World Congress of Interventional Oncology in Boston on 8th June, 2017. 

The investigators and project proposals that have been awarded grants are:

Rafael Duran, MD
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois
 Investigating the Immunobiology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients Undergoing Y90 Radioembolization

Joseph P. Erinjeri, MD, PhD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
 T-Cell Clonality and Cancer Neoantigen Presentation Following Interventional Oncology (IO) Therapies: Which IO Techniques Optimally Stimulate the Immune System?

Florian J. Fintelmann, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital
 A Pilot Study of Cryoablation Combined with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Patients with PD-1 Refractory Metastatic Melanoma: Prospective Clinical Research and Correlative Laboratory Studies

Stephen Hunt, MD, PhD
University of Pennsylvania  
 TAEVax: Immunobiologic Treatment Effects of Embolization in a Rat HCC Model

"We are very pleased that through the generosity of BTG, SIO has been able to fund the most meritorious, cutting-edge research that combines the strengths of interventional oncology and immuno-oncology-two disciplines that hold great promise for improving cancer therapy. The large number of high quality submissions to this grant call attests to the intense interest of interventional oncologists worldwide to continue to advance our field through robust scientific inquiry and clinical study," stated S. Nahum Goldberg, MD, SIO Interventional/Immuno-oncology Working Group Chair, and Vice-Chair for Research and Head of the Interventional Oncology Unit, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel.

Melanie Lee, Chief Scientific Officer of BTG, added "We're pleased to be working with the SIO to advance scientific knowledge in this area of medicine. The projects selected by the SIO Interventional/Immuno-oncology Working Group will extend understanding of the role of the immune system in interventional oncology therapy, the interplay between loco-regional and immunotherapies, and underlying mechanisms of stimulating immunity to fight cancer."

The Interventional Oncology / Immuno-Oncology research grant program was established earlier this year to fund initiatives that evaluate how interventional oncology therapies stimulate the immune system; combine loco-regional and immunotherapy approaches to improve clinical outcome; and improve the understanding of the underlying mechanisms that cause different therapies to influence adaptive and innate immunity, as well as underlying inflammation and tumorigenesis. 

Grant recipients were chosen by the SIO Interventional Oncology / Immuno-Oncology Working Group, which includes both interventional radiologists and immuno-oncologists. The Working Group plans to publish a white paper later this year to guide further research and clinical practice.

About Society of Interventional Oncology (SIO) 

SIO serves as the only membership-based organization dedicated wholly to the emerging field of Interventional Oncology (IO), working to establish, nurture, and support IO as the fourth pillar of cancer therapy alongside medical, surgical, and radiation oncology worldwide. IO therapies, such as embolization and tumor ablation, combine the expertise of oncology and radiology and use imaging technology to diagnose and treat localized cancers in ways that are precisely targeted and minimally or non-invasive. The society hosts the annual World Conference for Interventional Oncology (WCIO). For more information, please visit: www.sio-central.org

About BTG 

BTG is a global specialist healthcare company bringing to market innovative products in specialist areas of medicine to better serve doctors and their patients. We have a portfolio of Interventional Medicine products to advance the treatment of cancer, severe emphysema, severe blood clots and varicose veins, and Specialty Pharmaceuticals that help patients overexposed to certain medications or toxins. Inspired by patient and physician needs, BTG is investing to expand its portfolio to address some of today's most complex healthcare challenges. To learn more about BTG, please visit: www.btgplc.com

For further information contact:
SIO
Amanda Winger O'Kane, Marketing & Communications
+1-202-367-1164
aokane@sio-central.org

BTG                            
Chris Sampson, Corporate Communications Director
+44-(0)-20-7575-1595
Mobile: +44-(0)-7773-251-178