Ana Ponce

Ana Ponce has pioneered the investigation of radioligand therapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors, based on preclinical evidence that targeted radionuclide therapy induces immunogenic cell death, increases tumor antigen presentation, and remodels the tumor immune microenvironment to enhance sensitivity to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. Her clinical trials combining Lu-177 PSMA-617 with pembrolizumab in mCRPC have shown promising early signals of synergistic activity. She has characterized the immune-modulatory effects of radioligand therapy including upregulation of MHC-I, cGAS-STING pathway activation, and increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Her work is establishing the rationale and clinical framework for RLT-IO combination strategies across tumor types.