Cell Therapy: The New Frontier in the Fight Against Cancer

🧬 What if we could program our own immune system to fight cancer?

For decades, cancer treatment relied on a blunt strategy: chemotherapy designed to kill rapidly dividing cells. While often effective, these drugs act like a cannon—targeting cancer but also damaging healthy tissue along the way.

Today, a new era of cancer therapy is emerging. Instead of broadly attacking tumors, scientists are learning how to harness the body’s own immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells with remarkable precision.

In this lecture, Roberto Sessa, PhD in Cancer Biology, explores the shift from traditional chemotherapy to modern immunotherapies and engineered cell-based treatments. Drawing on his research in cancer biology and immune-based therapies, he explains how scientists are moving beyond simply “poisoning” tumors and toward programming the immune system itself to identify and destroy cancer—opening the door to a new generation of highly targeted cancer treatments. 🧬✨

🕰 Event Details

​​​What should I expect?

​7:00-7:35 --> arrival & chats

​​​​7:35-8:20 --> lecture

​​​​8:20-9:00 --> q&a and more chatting

​​​Who's invited?

​​​Anyone with an interest in learning new things, meeting new people, and doing fun things on weeknights! Lots of people came solo to our last event, so don't be afraid to do the same—you’ll meet some awesome people!

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​🍸 Alcohol & Safety

​Depending on the venue, alcohol may be sold and served exclusively by the venue in accordance with California law. Big Brain is not responsible or liable for alcohol service, overconsumption, or any actions resulting from intoxication. By attending, you voluntarily assume all risks associated with a public indoor event and agree that you are solely responsible for your own conduct, safety, and transportation before, during, and after the event.

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