Conference Day One
Wednesday, 26th February
7.30 Check-In & Morning Coffee
8:30 am Welcome from the Programme Director
8:35 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Moving With the Field: Exploring the Way Forward to Turbocharge Cell Therapy Development & Be the Best in Class
8:45 am Industry Leaders Fireside Chat: Exploring the Different Approaches to Cell Therapy Development to Gain a Holistic Overview of the Field
Synopsis
- Discussing exciting developments like approvals and commercialisations of TIL and TCR therapies for solid tumours and what it means for the field
- Looking towards gamma delta cells, NK cells, TIL therapies and more to target multiple autoimmune and cancer indications
- Identifying novel approaches to cell therapy development
9:30 am Unleashing the Promise of Cell Therapy for Cancer & Autoimmune Diseases
Synopsis
- Highlight how Atara is innovating next-generation CAR-Ts with the only allogeneic T-cell platform with an approved product
- Focus on how EBV T-cell biology and novel CAR technologies can address the current limitations of autologous and other allogeneic CAR approaches
- Describe ATA3219, Atara’s allogeneic CAR-T targeting CD19, for the potential treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and NHL
10.00 Morning Networking Break
Exploring Novel T-Cell Engineering Techniques to Improve Cell Fitness & Durability
Chair: to be Confirmed
11:30am: Engineering CAR-T Cells to Thrive in Hostile Tumour Microenvironments
- Potency-enhancing vs TME suppression-preventing edits in CAR-T cells
- AI-driven optimisation of synergistic gene editing combinations for TME resistance
- Developing GBM-targeted CAR-T iterative design from bedside insights to bench solutions
Aaron Edwards, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, KiraGen Bio
12:00pm: Group Discussion: Triple Engineered T-Cells: Are They the Answer to Improved Durability & Persistence?
- Understanding what triple engineered T-cells are
- Analysing how triple engineering can improve durability and persistence
- Exploring what each step of engineering entails
12:30pm: Panel Discussion: Screening Through Multiple Armouring Technologies to Find the One Fit for Your Purpose
- Identifying the different armouring technologies
- Understanding how each technology differs and how to select the appropriate one
- Matching the required armouring technology to your cell therapy product
Peggy Sotiropoulou, Chief Scientific Officer, T-Knife Therapeutics
Raphaël Ognar, President & Chief Executive Officer, NKILT Therapeutics
Rudolf Übelhart, Chief Scientific Officer, Vanudis
1.00 Networking Lunch
2:00pm: Gene-Edited, Multi-Armoured TCR-T Cells: The Answer to Improved Durability & Persistence
- Understanding the challenges of T-cell therapy for solid tumours
- Analysing how multi-armoured TCR-T cells can improve durability and persistence
- Exploring how gene-editing contributes to efficacy and safety
Peggy Sotiropoulou, Chief Scientific Officer, T-knife Therapeutics
2:30pm: Group Discussion: Exploring Novel Combination Therapies Such as Checkpoint Blockades & Chemotherapy to Circumvent Tumour Defence Mechanisms & Improve CAR-T Efficacy
- Understanding how to go about combining checkpoint blockades with CAR-T cell therapy
- Analysing the dosing levels for chemotherapy and CAR-T cells when used in conjunction with each other
- Exploring how using combination therapy can help avoid tumour defence mechanisms
3:00pm: AND-Logic Gated Virus-Like Particle for In Vivo CD4+ & CD8+ T-Cell Targeting with Reduced Liver Off Target
- In vivo CAR-T
- Highly CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells selective virus-like particles
- AND-logic gated mechanism for selective payload delivery
Marc Güell, ICREA Research Professor, University Pompeau Fabra
3.30 Afternoon Networking Break
Highlighting Different Cell Types & Their
Advantages to Target Different Disease
Indications & Increase Cell Therapy Efficacy
4:40pm: Overcoming Tumour Heterogeneity with MAGE-A4 Specific TCR-NK Cells: Development of Lead Product ZIMA4-1
• Leveraging dual targeting of TCR-NK cells to potently attack heterogenous solid tumour cells
• Avoiding tumour escape mechanisms
• Delivering an allogeneic off-the shelf NK cell therapy
Luise Weigand, Head of Research, Zelluna Immunotherapy
5:10pm: A Stem Cell-Derived Vδ1 CAR γδ T-Cell Platform for Haematological & Solid Tumour Malignancies
- Vδ1 γδ T-cells have some distinct advantages over other cell types for tumour immunotherapy but are difficult to source in high numbers
- We are developing a platform technology to generate highly functional Vδ1 γδ T-cells in high numbers from stem cells
- The cells have shown high levels of activity in T-ALL models, which is further enhanced by a dual-CAR against T-ALL specific antigens
Stefanos Theroharis, Chief Executive Officer, OneChain Immunotherapeutics
5:40pm: Development of Effective TIL Therapy for Solid Tumours
- Tumour microenvironment affects the response to first generation TIL in melanoma
- TIL dynamics upon expansion and adoptive transfer
- TIL reprogramming upon expansion
George Coukos, Director, Department of Oncology, University of Lausane
6.10 Tracks Close
6.15 Drinks Reception & Scientific Poster Session
7:15 pm End of Scientific Programme Day One
