In this episode, we have the pleasure of talking with Dr. Helena Florindo, an innovator in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Our conversation revolves around her recent work focused on identifying novel small molecules that can modulate the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) interaction, which has shown exciting clinical outcomes in diverse human cancers.

While monoclonal antibodies are currently the only approved inhibitors of PD-1/PD-L1, the majority of patients do not respond to these immune checkpoint inhibitors, highlighting the importance of developing new immunotherapeutic agents.

In a transdisciplinary approach combining in silico analyses with in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo experimental studies, Dr. Florindo's team has discovered small molecules that stimulate human adaptive immune responses. Unlike ...