The Chain: Protein Engineering Podcast Episode: 81 - Laszlo Radvanyi on Pushing Boundaries in Cancer Immunotherapy Research
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Jan 13, 2026 
Laszlo Radvanyi, a renowned professor of immunology and cancer immunotherapy, discusses pivotal advancements in cancer treatments. He reflects on the evolution of immunotherapy over the last decade and shares insights on the challenges of activating immune pathways with agonist antibodies. Laszlo emphasizes the role of partnerships in translating basic research into clinical success and highlights the promising potential of early detection strategies. He also argues for the exploration of new antigen sources, including endogenous retroviruses, as future targets in cancer therapy.
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How A Poster Sparked A Career
- Laszlo Radvanyi described discovering tumor immunology at an under-attended poster session early in his career.
- That moment sparked his decades-long focus on T cells and tumor immunology research.
Basic Science Drove Clinical Breakthroughs
- Basic, curiosity-driven immunology research enabled today's clinical breakthroughs.
- Close collaboration between basic scientists and industry accelerated translation to patient therapies.
A Vial That Changed Experiments
- Laszlo recalled Jim Allison sending anti-CTLA-4 antibodies to his lab, enabling unexpected findings.
- That reagent triggered massive T-cell proliferation in his assays and illustrated serendipity in discovery.