TY - JOUR T1 - Highlights of the 31st annual meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), 2016 JF - Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer JO - J Immunother Cancer DO - 10.1186/s40425-017-0262-1 VL - 5 IS - 1 SP - 55 AU - James L. Gulley AU - Elizabeth A. Repasky AU - Laura S. Wood AU - Lisa H. Butterfield Y1 - 2017/12/01 UR - http://jitc.bmj.com/content/5/1/55.abstract N2 - Abstract Therapeutic efforts to engage the immune system against cancer have yielded exciting breakthroughs and a growing list of approved immune-based agents across a variety of disease states. Despite the early successes and durable responses associated with treatments such as immune checkpoint inhibition, there is still progress to be made in the field of cancer immunotherapy. The 31st annual meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC 2016), which took place November 11–13, 2016 in National Harbor, Maryland, showcased the latest advancements in basic, translational, and clinical research focused on cancer immunology and immunotherapy. Novel therapeutic targets, insights into the dynamic tumor microenvironment, potential biomarkers, and novel combination approaches were some of the main themes covered at SITC 2016. This report summarizes key data and highlights from each session.Abbreviations:AEAdverse event (s)AFPAlpha fetoproteinALLAcute lymphoblastic leukemiaAMLAcute myeloid leukemiaCARChimeric antigen receptorCIConfidence intervalCITNCancer immunotherapy trials networkCTLA-4Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4CVA21Coxsackievirus A21DCDendritic cell (s)DCBDivision of cancer biologyDCTDDivision of cancer treatment and diagnosisFDAU.S. food and drug administrationFRETFluorescence energy resonance transferHCCHepatocellular carcinomaHNSCCHead and neck squamous cell carcinomaIDOIndoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenaseIFNInterferonirAEImmune-related adverse event (s)JITCJournal for immunotherapy of cancerKIRKiller immunoglobulin-like receptor (s)LNLymph node (s)MDSCMyeloid-derived suppressor cell (s)MSIMicrosatellite instabilityNCINational cancer instituteNENorepinephrineNIHNational institutes of healthNIMBCNon-muscle invasive bladder cancerNK cellNatural killer cellNRNot reachedNrp1Neuropilin-1NSCLCNon-small cell lung cancerOCEOncology center of excellenceOSOverall survivalPBMCPeripheral blood mononuclear cell (s)PD-1Programmed cell death protein 1PD-L1Programmed death-ligand 1PFSProgression-free survivalSITCSociety for immunotherapy of cancerTCRT cell receptorTILTumor infiltrating lymphocyte (s)TLRToll-like receptorTMETumor microenvironmentTregRegulatory T cell (s)WGWorking group (s)β-ARβ-adrenergic receptor ER -