title: The Italian Network for Tumor Biotherapy (NIBIT): getting together to push the field forward.
abstract: As for a consolidated tradition, the 5th annual meeting of the Italian Network for Cancer Biotherapy took place in the Certosa of Pontignano, a Tuscan monastery, on September 20-22, 2007. The congress gathered more than 40 Italian leading groups representing academia, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. Aim of the meeting was to share new advances in cancer bio-immunotherapy and to promote their swift translation from pre-clinical research to clinical applications. Several topics were covered including: a) molecular and cellular mechanisms of tumor escape; b) therapeutic antibodies and recombinant constructs; c) clinical trials up-date and new programs; d) National Cooperative Networks and their potential interactions; e) old and new times in cancer immunology, an "amarcord". Here, we report the main issues discussed during the meeting.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology and Immunotherapy, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Siena, Istituto Toscano Tumori, Siena, Italy. mmaio@cro.it
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maio
authors.forename: Hugues Jm
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Nicolay
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ascierto
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Belardelli
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Camerini
authors.forename: Mario P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Queirolo
authors.forename: Ruggero
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ridolfi
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Anzalone
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fonsatti
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parmiani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001691:Biological Therapy; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D019139:Tumor Escape / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines