Immuno-Oncology & Targeted Therapy Course

Lesson 1 • Innate Immune Surveillance of Tumors

Describes how NK cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells detect and eliminate nascent tumor cells. Provides the immunological groundwork for understanding checkpoint and innate immune therapies.

Lesson 2 • Immune Evasion Mechanisms

Analyzes how tumors escape immune destruction through checkpoint upregulation, antigen loss, and immunosuppressive cell recruitment. Directly motivates the therapeutic strategies covered in later chapters.

Lesson 3 • Hallmarks of Cancer and Oncogenesis

Covers the molecular events driving malignant transformation, including oncogene activation and tumor suppressor loss. Establishes the biological basis for all targeted and immune therapies.

Lesson 4 • Adaptive Immunity and Tumor Antigens

Explains T and B cell responses to tumor-associated and tumor-specific antigens. Connects antigen presentation to the rationale for checkpoint blockade and cancer vaccines.

Lesson 1 • Resistance Mechanisms to Targeted Therapy

Classifies primary, acquired, and adaptive resistance mechanisms at the molecular level. Prepares students to anticipate resistance and evaluate next-generation inhibitor strategies.

Lesson 2 • Oncogenic Driver Mutations and Biomarkers

Identifies actionable mutations across major cancer types and explains how biomarker testing guides therapy selection. Grounds subsequent drug-class discussions in clinical relevance.

Lesson 3 • Kinase Inhibitor Classes and Mechanisms

Covers ATP-competitive, allosteric, and covalent kinase inhibitors and their selectivity profiles. Provides mechanistic vocabulary needed to evaluate resistance and next-generation agents.

Lesson 4 • Pharmacokinetics of Targeted Agents

Examines absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion properties specific to small-molecule inhibitors. Connects PK parameters to dosing schedules and drug interaction risks.

Lesson 1 • CTLA-4 Pathway Biology and Blockade

Details CTLA-4 co-inhibitory signaling in T cell priming and the mechanism of anti-CTLA-4 antibodies. Sets the stage for comparing CTLA-4 and PD-1 axis blockade.

Lesson 2 • Immune-Related Adverse Event Management

Classifies irAEs by organ system, severity grade, and management algorithm. Equips students to recognize, grade, and treat toxicities while preserving therapeutic benefit.

Lesson 3 • Biomarkers of Checkpoint Response

Evaluates PD-L1 expression, TMB, MSI-H, and gene expression profiles as predictive biomarkers. Connects biomarker interpretation to patient selection and clinical trial design.

Lesson 4 • Emerging Checkpoint Targets

Surveys LAG-3, TIM-3, TIGIT, and other next-generation checkpoint targets under clinical investigation. Positions students to evaluate emerging combination regimens.

Lesson 1 • Monoclonal Antibody Engineering Principles

Covers antibody structure, isotype selection, and humanization strategies that determine efficacy and immunogenicity. Provides the structural foundation for all antibody-based drug classes.

Lesson 2 • Clinical Development of Antibody Therapeutics

Reviews dose-finding, PK/PD modeling, and regulatory considerations specific to antibody-based drugs. Prepares students to interpret clinical trial data for antibody therapeutics.

Lesson 3 • Bispecific Antibodies and T Cell Engagers

Describes bispecific antibody formats that redirect T cells or NK cells to tumor targets. Connects molecular design to clinical activity and cytokine release syndrome risk.

Lesson 4 • Antibody-Drug Conjugate Design

Examines linker chemistry, payload selection, and drug-to-antibody ratio in ADC design. Explains how ADC architecture determines therapeutic index and resistance mechanisms.

Lesson 1 • CAR-T Cell Design and Engineering

Details CAR construct architecture across generations and the impact of costimulatory domains on T cell function. Connects design choices to clinical efficacy and exhaustion risk.

Lesson 2 • TCR-Engineered T Cell Therapy

Explains how TCR-T cells recognize intracellular antigens via MHC and differ from CAR-T cells. Covers HLA restriction as a key design and patient selection constraint.

Lesson 3 • Toxicity and Safety of Cellular Therapies

Classifies CRS, ICANS, and on-target off-tumor toxicities with grading and management algorithms. Prepares students to anticipate and manage life-threatening cellular therapy toxicities.

Lesson 4 • Adoptive Cell Therapy Fundamentals

Introduces the concept of ex vivo cell expansion and reinfusion for antitumor immunity. Establishes the biological rationale distinguishing autologous from allogeneic approaches.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Cancer Vaccine Design

Covers antigen selection, adjuvant pairing, and delivery route as determinants of vaccine immunogenicity. Establishes the design framework applied across all vaccine platform sections.

Lesson 2 • Innate Immune Agonists as Cancer Therapeutics

Covers STING, TLR, and RIG-I agonists that activate innate immunity to enhance antitumor responses. Connects innate activation to adaptive immune priming and combination therapy rationale.

Lesson 3 • Peptide and Protein Vaccine Platforms

Examines synthetic long peptide and recombinant protein vaccines, including formulation and MHC presentation requirements. Connects platform limitations to the rationale for nucleic acid approaches.

Lesson 4 • Neoantigen-Based Personalized Vaccines

Explains the pipeline from tumor sequencing to neoantigen prediction and vaccine manufacturing. Positions personalized vaccines as a precision oncology strategy complementing checkpoint blockade.

Lesson 1 • Rationale for Combination Immunotherapy

Establishes mechanistic frameworks for combining checkpoint inhibitors, targeted agents, and cellular therapies. Distinguishes synergistic from additive combinations using preclinical and clinical evidence.

Lesson 2 • Chemotherapy and Radiation Immunomodulation

Explains immunogenic cell death, abscopal effects, and how cytotoxic agents sensitize tumors to immunotherapy. Connects these mechanisms to chemo-immunotherapy and radio-immunotherapy combinations.

Lesson 3 • Overcoming Immunotherapy Resistance

Classifies primary and acquired resistance to checkpoint blockade and cellular therapies at the molecular level. Evaluates strategies including alternative checkpoints, TME reprogramming, and combination rescue.

Lesson 4 • Toxicity Management in Combination Regimens

Addresses overlapping and additive toxicity profiles when combining immunotherapy with targeted or cytotoxic agents. Equips students with dose modification and supportive care decision frameworks.

Lesson 1 • Response Assessment Criteria in IO

Compares RECIST, iRECIST, and irRC criteria for assessing immunotherapy responses. Equips students to select and apply appropriate criteria in trial and clinical practice settings.

Lesson 2 • Biomarker Integration in Clinical Trials

Covers prospective biomarker strategies, co-development of companion diagnostics, and exploratory biomarker analysis. Connects biomarker planning to regulatory approval and precision medicine goals.

Lesson 3 • Endpoint Selection for IO Trials

Evaluates OS, PFS, ORR, DOR, and novel endpoints such as milestone survival for IO trials. Connects endpoint choice to regulatory requirements and clinical meaningfulness.

Lesson 4 • Unique Challenges in IO Trial Design

Identifies how delayed responses, pseudoprogression, and hyperprogression complicate standard oncology trial design. Motivates the use of IO-specific endpoints and response criteria.