SIO and BTG Announce Recipients of Immuno-Oncology/Interventional Oncology Grant Program

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The Society of Interventional Oncology (SIO), an international organisation working to nurture and support interventional oncology worldwide, and BTG plc (LSE: BTG), a global healthcare company focused on Interventional Medicine, announce their 2018 Interventional Oncology/Immuno-Oncology research grant recipients.

The investigators and project proposals that have been awarded grants are:

Rony Avritscher
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Strategies to Modulate Liver Tumor Immune Microenvironment after Catheter-based Drug Delivery

Terence Gade, University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania 
Characterization of the Immunobiologic Response Following Transarterial Chemoembolization of HCC

Samdeep Mouli
Northwestern University 
Y90 Radioembolization Combined with Immune Checkpoint Blockade in an Animal Model of Hepatocellular

Isabel Newton
University of California, San Diego 
Effects of Cryoablation on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cancer Stem Cells and the Immune Response

Paul Thevenot
Ochsner Health System
Tumor-Induced Tolerance in Driving Embolization Resistance and Waitlist/Transplant Outcomes

"We are very pleased that with the continued generosity of BTG, SIO has been able to fund a second round of highly meritorious, cutting-edge research that combines the strengths of interventional oncology and immuno-oncology-two disciplines that hold great promise for improving cancer therapy," stated S. Nahum Goldberg, MD, SIO Interventional/Immuno-oncology Working Group Chair, and Vice-Chair for Research and Head of the Interventional Oncology Unit, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel. He continued, "Once again, the large number of high-quality submissions to this grant call attests to the sustained intense interest of interventional oncologists worldwide to continue to advance our field through robust scientific inquiry and clinical study. We're proud that to date, SIO has been able to fund nine projects representing a diverse set of outstanding investigators and projects."

"As a leader in Interventional Oncology therapies, BTG is proud to support this independent research fund in partnership with the SIO," said Karen Skinner, BTG's Vice President of Immuno-Oncology R&D. "We're thrilled by the quality of these proposals and to see Interventional Radiologists working alongside their colleagues in the Oncology community to unlock the potential of combining these therapies. We believe this collaborative approach is the best way to accelerate our understanding of this field, and help expand the number of cancer patients who might benefit from the immuno-oncology revolution."

The Interventional Oncology/Immuno-Oncology research grant program was established in 2017 to fund initiatives that evaluate how interventional oncology therapies stimulate the immune system; combine loco-regional and immunotherapy approaches to improve clinical outcome; and improve the understanding of the underlying mechanisms that cause different therapies to influence adaptive and innate immunity, as well as underlying inflammation and tumorigenesis.  

Grant recipients were chosen by the SIO Interventional Oncology/Immuno-Oncology Working Group, which includes both interventional radiologists and immuno-oncologists.

About Society of Interventional Oncology (SIO) 

SIO serves as the only membership-based organization dedicated wholly to the emerging field of Interventional Oncology (IO), working to establish, nurture, and support IO as the fourth pillar of cancer therapy alongside medical, surgical, and radiation oncology worldwide. IO therapies, such as embolization and tumor ablation, combine the expertise of oncology and radiology and use imaging technology to diagnose and treat localized cancers in ways that are precisely targeted and minimally or non-invasive. The society hosts the annual World Conference on Interventional Oncology (WCIO). For more information, please visit: www.sio-central.org

About BTG 

BTG is a global healthcare company focused on Interventional Medicine. Our innovative medical technology helps physicians treat their patients through minimally invasive procedures. We have a growing portfolio of products that advance the treatment of cancer, vascular conditions and severe emphysema. To learn more about BTG Interventional Medicine, please visit: btg-im.com.

For further information contact: 

SIO
Amanda Winger O'Kane, Marketing & Communications
+1-202-367-1164; aokane@sio-central.org

BTG plc 
Chris Sampson, Corporate Communications Director
+44-20-7575-1595; Mobile: +44-7773-251-178