Immuno-Oncology (I-O) research is quickly evolving, with new advances that bring us closer to precision cancer treatment. Translational medicine – research to further our understanding of cancer biology and to identify the patient populations most likely to derive benefit from I-O therapy – is a driving force behind these discoveries and is playing an increasingly important role in cancer research.

Translational medicine encompasses many different areas of basic research. Our interdisciplinary teams are working together to answer key questions and more intimately understand the interplay between the immune system and cancer. 

Here, members of our translational medicine team share more about their work and the important role translational medicine will play in the future of oncology treatment:

Right treatment, right patient, right time

Through our research into the tumor microenvironment, we are learning more about how a patient’s dynamic tumor biology can be used as a guide for treatment decisions throughout his or her cancer journey. We continue to investigate the role of PD-L1 , tumor mutational burden, and gene signatures of inflammation, and other potentially predictive biomarkers – both tumor and peripheral biomarkers – to better inform and predict the benefit of current and future approaches. Additionally, our teams continue to evaluate potential diagnostic tools to help identify those biomarkers in patients leveraging less-invasive methods such as liquid biopsy.

To learn more about how BMS is exploring the research behind why some people respond to immunotherapy and others do not, click here.