Immunotherapy
Finding ways to stimulate the body's immune system to help attack cancer cells is a growing area of research at The Institute of Cancer Research.
Clinical trials led by the ICR and our hospital partner The Royal Marsden have shown that the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab can help extend the lives of some patients with advanced head and neck cancer, and prostate cancer.
The use of 'oncolytic' viruses, which can kill cancer cells both directly and by directing the immune system against them, is also an exciting area of research being explored by ICR researchers.
This page highlights recent news stories, blog posts and videos that concern immunotherapy research at the ICR.
Related pages
Latest ICR News

Scientists discover how to remove skin cancer’s protective armour and stop it spreading
Scientists have uncovered a protein that acts like a ‘suit of armour’ for cancer cells, shielding them from hostile environments and allowing one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer to spread through the body.
-is-malignancy-of-the-esophagus-cancer-of-the-esophagus-ct-with-contrast.jpg?sfvrsn=70ef5f67_1)
New study reveals how oesophageal cancer adapts to treatment
Researchers have tracked how the most common form of oesophageal cancer and its immune environment change during a standard form of treatment – offering vital clues that could shape future therapies, so they work for longer.