Insights from ESHO-ICHS Meeting

Advancements in Hyperthermia and Immunotherapy Intersection

We would like to thank those who participated in the latest event of ESHO-ICHS!

The conference of the European Society for Hyperthermic Oncology was held along with the ICHS – the Conference of International Clinical Hyperthermia Society – this year and took place in the city of Cologne in Germany from September 26 to 29.

The convergence of these two gatherings, both dedicated to advancing the application of hyperthermia in cancer treatment, provided a unique platform for interdisciplinary dialogue and became an exceptional opportunity for experts from diverse backgrounds to share knowledge and insights. In the field of mEHT, Dr. Carrie Minnaar, Prof Stefaan Van Gool, and Prof Giammaria Fiorentini also presented their promising research results, which we will soon publish in a collection of publications!

The meeting not only promoted the exchange of research but also recognized other existing directions of different hyperthermia methods, including the importance of the immuno-oncology approach. This development is particularly significant as it considers the ongoing efforts of Oncothermia, mEHT, and its synergistic potential of hyperthermia and immunotherapy in the fight against cancer.

The method of Oncothermia has been dealing with the possibilities inherent in immune effects for more than 15 years now and has already laid the foundation for this promising intersection of these fields with previous research and publications.

Our basic immune application is called “tumor vaccination” and was patented 10 years ago, recognizing firstly the immune effects of thermal and nonthermal combination in hyperthermia practice [[1]]. This immune effect was used in all abscopal (systemic extension of the local mEHT treatment [[2]]) studies [[3]], [[4]], [[5]], [[6]], [[7]], showing this effect in a Phase III clinical study, too [[8]], [[9]]. The immune effect is the consequence of the immunogenic cell death triggered mEHT [[10]], [[11]], [[12]], [[13]], and well observed in combination with radiotherapy [[14]], and in the complexity of stress-protein development [[15]]. Importantly, due to its special immunogenic effect, the mEHT method may be applicable in viral diseases (like COVID-19) as well [[16]], [[17]].

We are pleased to acknowledge the various conventional hyperthermia applications presented at the ESHO-ICHS meeting that have just begun to explore the combination of immunotherapies and thermal effects. The discussion about temperature homogeneity and the single fever range temperature of immune combination also shows that mEHT has been working at the forefront of hyperthermia research.