From Discovery to Impact: PICI Network Accelerates Progress at AACR 2025

The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI) returns to the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, April 25–30 in Chicago, with our largest and most influential presence to date—more than 80 presentations spanning foundational biology, translational platforms and emerging clinical strategies.

This year’s program features the PICI Network in 4 keynotes and special sessions, 10 session chairs, 21 oral presentations, 54 posters and a distinguished award recipient. PICI Investigators aren’t just contributing––they’re helping set the scientific agenda. From understanding immune resistance to advancing precision-engineered therapies, the work presented this year signals where the field is headed.

Translational Science in Motion
The PICI Network’s AACR 2025 contributions cover some of the field’s most challenging problems—IL-18 biology, RNA-splicing-derived neoantigens, metabolic pathways and precision-engineered T cells. Together, they demonstrate how bold science, shared platforms and network-wide collaboration can accelerate the path from idea to impact.

Keynotes and Special Sessions
PICI Network leaders will present in high-profile sessions on emerging areas of cancer immunology:

• PICI Center Co-Director Elizabeth Mittendorf, MD, PhD (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute): Harnessing the neoadjuvant window: Immunotherapy in breast cancer (SY38)
• PICI Center Co-Director Taha Merghoub, PhD (Weill Cornell Medicine): Harnessing neutrophil to overcome resistance to immune based therapies (SY17)
  

Oral Presentation Highlights
Key presentations include advances in in vivo gene delivery, immune evasion and CAR T-cell optimization:

• PICI Investigator Judith Agudo, PhD (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute) and Elizabeth Mittendorf, MD, PhD (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute): 1172 – An estrogen receptor signaling transcriptional program linked to immune evasion in human hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (MS.IM02.01)
• PICI Investigator David Barbie, MD (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute): High resolution dynamic ex vivo profiling of the immune TME (ED50)
• PICI Center Director Antoni Ribas MD, PhD (UCLA): CT018 – A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized phase 2 clinical trial to assess the efficacy of a topical BRAF inhibitor for acneiform rash toxicities from anti-EGFR therapies (CTPL02)
• PICI Center Director Crystal Mackall, MD (Stanford Medicine) and PICI Investigator Sean Yamada-Hunter, PhD (Stanford Medicine): 3765 – Combined silencing of MED12 and activation of IL2 by epigenetic editing enhances CAR T antitumor potency (MS.CL06.01)

Session Chairs
PICI Network leaders will chair sessions that shape the conference’s core dialogue:

• Antoni Ribas MD, PhD (UCLA): Advances in Immunotherapy (CTPL01)
• PICI Center Director Jedd Wolchok, MD, PhD (Weill Cornell Medicine) and Crystal Mackall, MD (Stanford Medicine): Biologics and T-cell Engagers (CTPL04)

Poster Presentation Highlights
Across more than 50 posters, PICI Investigators will share new findings on immune evasion, metabolic constraints, synthetic biology and tumor targeting:

• PICI CEO Dr. Karen Knudsen: LB011 / 11 – Combining CBP/p300 and PARP inhibitors to enhance anti-tumor efficacy in lethal prostate cancer (LBPO.ET01)
• PICI Center Director James P. Allison, PhD (MD Anderson Cancer Center) and PICI Center Co-Director Padmanee Sharma, MD, PhD (MD Anderson Cancer Center): 1370 / 25 – Antibodies derived from patient tumors augment response to immune checkpoint blockade in cancer (PO.TB10.15)
• PICI Investigator Mehdi Benzaoui, PhD (Weill Cornell Medicine); Taha Merghoub, PhD (Weill Cornell Medicine) and Jedd Wolchok, MD, PhD (Weill Cornell Medicine): 1534 / 16 – Targeting oxygen consumption with metformin and phenformin have differential effects on immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (PO.MCB09.06)
• PICI Center Co-Director F. Stephen Hodi, MD (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute): 2107 / 10 – Insights into inherited genetic variations and genetic ancestry of patients with high-risk melanoma (PO.CL01.20)
• PICI Center Director Carl June, MD (The University of Pennsylvania): 3129 / 14 – Fibroblast activation protein directed CAR T cells engineered in situ using targeted lipid nanoparticles inhibit progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PO.ET02.09)
• PICI Center Co-Director E. John Wherry, PhD (The University of Pennsylvania): 6395 / 18 – Synthetic pathway activators enhance CAR-T functional persistence and prevent T cell exhaustion (PO.IM01.01)

Distinguished Award Recipient
Crystal Mackall, MD (Stanford Medicine) will be honored with the AACR-Cancer Research Institute Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology for her groundbreaking work in T cell biology and commitment to translational research, leading to novel immunotherapeutic strategies for pediatric cancer patients.

A Model in Motion
From major talks to early-stage data, PICI’s presence at AACR 2025 reflects the strength of our model: deep collaboration, shared infrastructure and a singular focus on accelerating science with patient impact in mind.

📥 Download the PICI Guide to AACR 2025 for a 14-page roadmap to the PICI Network sessions, presenters and research highlights at this year’s meeting.