BCG: a therapeutic modality for COVID-19 and cancers

The Bioidea group invites you to join healthcare, biotech and investment community for the virtual session featuring clinicians and scientists working on the BCG vaccine. Our webinar will also discuss how BCG modality can be exploited to construct next-generation genetically-engineered therapies. Event is to be live streamed to multiple platforms.

Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) is a live attenuated vaccine that was developed against tuberculosis at the beginning of the 20th century. BCG is also approved as a treatment for early-stage baldder cancer. The recent studies revealed a correlation showing that countries with higher rates of BCG vaccinations had lower peak mortality rates from COVID-19. Receiving BCG vaccination during early childhood is associated with reduced risk of subsequent lung cancer development. These beneficial effect of BCG against viral infections are proposed to be mediated by the stimulation of innate immune mechanisms, also termed trained immunity.

Panelists

• Dr. Leonardo O. Reis, MD PhD. Professor Livre Docente Urologia, Produtividade Pesquisa CNPq, UroScience / Urology / Oncology
• Dr Seth Lerner, MD. Professor of Urology. Beth and Dave Swalm Chair in Urologic Oncology, Director of Urologic Oncology, Director of the Multidisciplinary Bladder Cancer Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, US
• Dr Andrew DiNardo, MD. Assistant Professor. Medicine-Infectious Disease, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, US
• Dr Ashish Kamat, MD. Professor of Urologic Oncology. Wayne B. Duddlesten Professor of Cancer Research, Attending Surgeon, Department of Urology, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Dr Naomi E. Aronson, MD. Professor of Medicine, Director, Infectious Diseases Division, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
• Dr Lewis Schrager, MD. Infectious Diseases, TB. Former VP, Scientific Affairs at Aeras, former chief of the Epidemiology Branch, NAID, former chief of clinical review in the Office of Vaccine Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. FDA
• Dr Jessica Seeliger, PhD. Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University. Microbial Pathogenesis
• Dr Yossef Av-Gay, PhD. Professor, Division Of Infectious Diseases, The University Of British Columbia
• Dr Jordi Ochando, PhD. Assistant Professor, Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Dr Boris Shor, PhD. Founder & CEO, Manhattan BioSolutions, Inc.

The views expressed by Dr. Aronson are those of the presenter and do not reflect the official policy or position of her institution (the Uniformed Services University), the Department of Defense or the US government

Event Moderators

• Dr Navpaul Singh, MD. Chief Medical Consultant, Nascent Biotech, Inc.