How to Seize the Development Opportunities in Next-Generation Immunotherapy? | See You in Shanghai on September 19

Have you ever considered that treating cancer might not require relying solely on traditional chemotherapy to "poison" cancer cells? Instead, we could mobilize the immune "special forces" our bodies already possess — T cells — to precisely identify and eliminate cancer cells.

Over the past two decades, tumor immunotherapy, a cutting-edge approach that aligns more closely with the body's natural anti-cancer mechanisms, has been gaining momentum.

In this field, scientists are harnessing and engineering a naturally occurring molecule — the T-cell receptor (TCR) — to develop drugs that precisely recognize tumors, empowering the body's own immune T cells to hunt down cancer cells.

Drugs equipped with TCR as a sensitive "radar" can not only effectively distinguish differences between cancer cells and normal cells on the surface, but also detect abnormal signals hidden inside cancer cells — these internal signals are often the key drivers of tumor initiation and progression.

Beyond oncology, TCR therapeutics are also showing promise in autoimmune diseases and antiviral applications. Multiple pipelines targeting hepatitis B, HIV, atopic dermatitis, and Type 1 diabetes, among other indications, have already entered clinical or preclinical stages.

Historically, TCR drug development faced multiple challenges: difficulty in TCR molecule discovery, optimization hurdles, and high safety risks. Today, with breakthroughs across critical technologies — including novel target discovery, high-throughput screening, TCR molecule optimization, and cell therapy manufacturing — TCR therapeutics are entering a golden age of development.

To advance this frontier field, the Translational Medicine Committee of the Shanghai Society of Biotechnology will host a "TCR Technology Development and Translation Salon" in Shanghai on September 19. FreeS Fund is a co-organizer of this forum. Li Yi, founder of Tesheng Bio (a FreeS Fund portfolio company), along with Shen Jiong, managing partner at FreeS Fund, and Xie Da, vice president, will share their insights and perspectives.

Below is the forum agenda. If you're interested in innovation and translation in the TCR field, you're welcome to register and attend — and please feel free to share this event with friends who might be interested.