Interview– Dr. Susan Kaech

Immunotherapy can feel confusing and unpredictable—especially when you’re the one going through treatment. In this episode of What I Wish I Knew, Dr. Dan talks with Dr. Susan Kaech, Director of the NOMIS Center at the Salk Institute, about how the immune system targets cancer, how T cells recognize tumors, and why the tumor microenvironment can shut immune responses down.

They break down key immunotherapy approaches (like PD-1/CTLA-4 “brakes” and CAR T), what side effects and resistance can look like, and why tumor sequencing and mutations matter for treatment choices and clinical trials. The conversation also explores what’s next—personalized cancer vaccines, the gut microbiome, and emerging neuroimmunology links between chronic stress and immune suppression—for a clear, research-grounded listen without hype.

Listen to full episode :