About

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The Scandinavian Network for Immunotherapy of Cancer

DESCRIPTION and AIMS

This network is a results of a previous organized cooperation between several centra in the Nordic countries and others collaborators from Europe called ” Nordic Centrum of Excellence for Vaccination against cancer” (NCEV) sponsored by the  NORDFORSK  (an organisation under the Nordic Council of Ministers) for four years (2006-2010).

The aim of the present network is to give the opportunity to exchange experience and ideas as well as facilitate centra in Scandinavia that are interested in immunotherapy. The composition of the participants are translational with both researchers with pre-clinic and clinic experience. Scientific activities are organized annually or bi-annually with seminars and presentations hosted by rotation of the individual participants.

SNIC is also present in the World Immunotherapy Council (WIC) part of the Society for immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) which promote the collaboration and spreading of knowledge in Immunotherapy of Cancer among other networks with similar interests in the world.
SNIC is practically characterized by free participation with no formal budget since 2010. Each group that participate to the scientific activities stays for its own expenses.
Immunotherapy is experiencing a great time with the recognition of the possibility to treat tumours in humans. In part due to clinical success of immunotherapy in cancer, networking and communication activities at national and international levels are rapidly increasing.

To be part of the Scandinavian society for immunotherapy (SSI) would imply

  1. To give an umbrella for researcher and oncologist involved in translational Immunotherapy to connect, and meet as as section at SSi and give opportunity of spreading knowledge also for the younger generations
  2. To have the opportunity to introduce translational research of  Immunotherapy of cancer into the basic immunology
  3. To be a formalised organ that represent the scandinavian researcher in immunotherapy  i.e to have a formalised window to “science politics”  ( WIC , ESMO etc)
  4. Since  cancer immunology today is in the spotlight due to the new therapy targeted to Immunmarkers  it is possible to increase the information and knowledge about immunology among the population.
  5. Scandinavian Cancer immunologist  will see natural to belong to a recognised organisation.

The history behind the association

There are development in the SNIC that started after a discussion with Per-Thor  Straten at the WIC-SITC  meeting  in November 2015. The occasion was the presentation of young scientists from the member associations of the World immunotherapy council (WIC). From SNIC was Yago Pico de Cohana tha had a poster communication.

Well , the idea was  the SNIC  to become a more formal network .

The rapid development in the immunotherapy of cancer has brought about more interest from the clinician. The SNIC is actually the only network in Scandinavia that deals with translational research on immunotherapy of cancer.
To organize SNIC as a society is an option that cannot be taken since the number of members is not so large and will need a lot of administration.
The participation, instead,  as a group or branch inside a larger organisation such as the Scandinavian society for immunology sound more possible.