Targeting Natural Killer Cells in Cancer

Monday Lunch Livestream

With Professor Nick Huntington

8 February 2021

The Monday Lunch Live lecture series provides weekly access to the latest knowledge across the spectrum of cancer disciplines. The VCCC is excited to kick off the 2021 program with Professor Nick Huntington, an emerging international leader in the field of cancer immunology, specialising in natural killer (NK) cell biology.

Natural killer (NK) cell biology are cells that specifically detect and eradicate cancer cells. In his presentation, Professor Huntington will navigate virtual participants through how NK cells offer a safe cancer immunotherapy target and discuss therapeutic strategies to harness NK cell activity that are being developed at a rapid rate.

Aim: To explore Natural killer (NK) cell biology.

Learning Objective: Participants will further their knoweldge in how NK cells offer a safe cancer immunotherapy target and be aware of therapeutic strategies to harness NK cell activity that are being developed at a rapid rate.

Professor Nick Huntington

Professor Huntington is the head of the Cancer Immunotherapy Laboratory at the Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University. He is an international leader on natural killer (NK) cell biology with notable contributions to:

• regulatory mechanisms of IL-15 signalling in NK cells

• identification of human and murine NK cell differentiation pathways

• novel xenograft models to study human hematopoiesis and;

• identification of multiple checkpoint in NK cell activation and tumour immunity

Professor Huntington leads a research program aimed at deciphering the regulatory networks that control NK cell immunity and a drug discovery program using cutting-edge in vivo screens for novel checkpoints in NK cell activation for targeting in cancer immunotherapy. He is President of the Melbourne Immunotherapy Network (MIN) and is a co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of oNKo-Innate Pty Ltd.