GOTBio takes on AACR 2025 in Chicago
I just got back from AACR 2025 in Chicago. It was packed with bold ideas, clinical breakthroughs, and a clear direction that cancer research is entering a new era.
More than 23,000 people from 78 countries came together to share knowledge and push the field forward. Over 240 clinical trials were presented—24 of them Phase III studies with the potential to change how we treat patients. But what really stood out to me was the people—especially the rising generation of scientists making their mark.
The NextGen Stars program was a highlight. These early-career researchers aren’t just promising—they’re already driving innovation in powerful ways. Their work spans everything from immunotherapy and single-cell multiomics to genomic instability and novel druggable targets. A few of the projects that stood out:
- Israel Cañadas, PhD – Triggering viral mimicry to enhance immunotherapy response in small cell lung cancer
- Gabriele Casirati, MD, PhD – Epitope editing to enable targeted immunotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia
- Kathleen Houlahan, PhD – Germline-driven immunoediting that shapes breast cancer subtypes and metastatic behavior
- Kara Maxwell, MD, PhD – Exploring how germline TP53 mutations drive distinct tumor evolution in breast cancer
- Arnav Mehta, MD, PhD – Using single-cell multiomics, lineage tracing, and functional genomics to dissect pancreatic cancer plasticity
- Alison Taylor, PhD – Investigating how cancer aneuploidy offers selective advantages using computational and functional tools
- Olivier Saulnier, PhD – Tracing the developmental origins of Group 3 medulloblastoma
- Claire Thomas, PhD, MPH – Linking microsatellite instability and hypermutation with specific T cell subsets in colorectal cancer
- Ignacio Vazquez-Garcia, PhD – Studying the evolutionary dynamics of whole-genome doubling in ovarian cancer
- Abhijit Parolia, PhD – Targeting NSD2 as a druggable component of the AR neo-enhanceosome in prostate cancer
We need more programs like this. Especially in the U.S., where our health and research systems are under growing pressure. If we want to build a strong, sustainable biomedical future, we must invest in it now. These early-career scientists are doing the hard work of redefining cancer research—and they need our support, mentorship, and federal funding.
Beyond the impressive trial results and many high level poster presentations, a few big-picture themes emerged that I think are important:
Tumor Ecosystems and Metastasis – We’re moving past the idea of cancer as just rogue cells. Talks dove into the complex environments cancers live in—interacting with immune cells, fibroblasts, vasculature—and how disrupting these systems could prevent metastasis or make therapies more effective.
Cancer Health Disparities – This issue was front and center, and rightfully so. There’s a major push for inclusive clinical trials, better biomarker access, and research that addresses the socioeconomic factors shaping patient outcomes. Science can’t move forward if it’s not equitable.
Spatial Biology – The ability to map tumors in three dimensions—showing how cells interact and change over time—is already reshaping how we understand tumor heterogeneity, immune infiltration, and resistance. We’re seeing things we couldn’t even visualize five years ago.
Activity-Based Proteomics – Genomics tells us what could go wrong. Proteomics is telling us what is going wrong in real time. This approach helps identify active, functional targets that are actually driving cancer biology—giving us a clearer picture of what to attack.
Bioorthogonal Chemistry – A chemistry revolution that’s giving us tools to precisely activate drugs inside the body without off-target effects. It’s already informing new targeted therapies, diagnostics, and even in vivo labeling strategies that weren’t possible before.
It’s clear we’re at a turning point—driven not just by more powerful tools, but by a new generation of researchers who are willing to ask harder questions, challenge dogma, and reimagine the future of oncology.
And I’m not done yet. Looking forward to reconnecting with many of you at the ASCO Annual Meeting, also in Chicago, in just a few weeks. Stay tuned—there’s more to come.
#AACR2024 #NextGenStars #CancerResearch #SupportScience #YoungScientists #HealthEquity #PrecisionOncology #FutureOfScience #ASCO2024
