Leading oncologist to share how understanding DNA helps diagnose and treat cancer

Cancer cells are masters of disguise.

Though our bodies are constantly on the lookout for foreign invaders that can cause illness, cells that transform to become cancerous can go unnoticed by exploiting the mechanisms of the very immune system that protects us.

Luis Diaz Jr., a clinical oncologist who heads the Division of Solid Tumor Oncology at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, leverages knowledge of the cancer genome to diagnose and treat cancers that evade immune defenses.

“We were taking patients who were in hospice, pulling them out, and treating them with immunotherapy,” Diaz said in an interview with the American Association for Cancer Research. “They had this genetic signature, and their tumors were melted away within one or two weeks.”

At 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, Diaz will deliver a lecture on Clinical Applications of Cancer Genetics at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC in Roanoke.

In a healthy human body, the immune system defends against illnesses, with specialized cells — such as T cells — constantly scanning for threats like viruses and cancer. Cancer cells can latch onto T cells through a receptor known as PD-1. When this happens, the T cell’s defense is not only weakened, it often shuts down entirely.

But a therapy designed to block the PD-1 receptor can prevent cancer cells from shutting down T cells, helping the immune system stay active enough to better target tumors. The therapeutic agent, called pembrolizumab, is a cancer immunotherapy drug that uses molecular interventions to help the immune system recognize and target cancer cells.

It was the first Food and Drug Administration-approved cancer treatment based on genetic markers rather than the tumor’s location in the body, and Diaz was one of the key scientists behind the breakthrough.

“As both a cancer researcher and a practicing oncologist, Diaz is at the forefront of both patient care and making scientifically grounded advances to accelerate our understanding of the genetic drivers of cancer while opening the doorway to an entire new paradigm for combating these diseases,” said Michael Friedlander, Virginia Tech’s vice president for health sciences and technology and executive director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute.

Diaz serves on the White House’s National Cancer Advisory Board and is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. Through his research, he continues to explore how the cancer genome impacts the development, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

“We are living in a time of both unprecedented opportunity for the discovery and deployment of rational, smart therapeutics to treat cancer, and one where the scientific enterprise itself faces challenges,” Friedlander said. “We are fortunate to have pioneers such as Dr. Diaz, who are committed to the best care for their patients but are not dissuaded from making bold advances through science.”

The lecture, which is open to the public, is made possible through the generosity of Roanoke businessman and philanthropist Maury Strauss, who died in June. Because of his support, the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute continues to keep the community connected to the most important advances in the science and medicine of health by bringing the world’s leading health researchers to Roanoke.

“We are fortunate that Dr. Diaz will be visiting the Roanoke community to share his accomplishments and insights with the public as well as the scientific and medical communities,” Friedlander said. “His work is inspiring to the cancer researchers in our Fralin Biomedical Research Institute labs in both Roanoke and Washington, D.C.”

The lecture will be on Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at 2 Riverside Circle in Roanoke. The program begins with a reception with light refreshments at 5 p.m. followed by the lecture at 5:30 p.m. The event will also be livestreamed via Zoom.