8:50 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Addressing the Demand for Clinically Relevant Mouse Models for Immunotherapy
Synopsis
Recent breakthroughs involving humanized mice have elevated the translational quality of these models within preclinical IO research. This session will explore preclinical investigations to better model human tumor and human immune system interaction through the use of humanized models. Particular emphasis will be given to the challenges, insights, and future directions for mouse and humanized models in cancer immunology and immunotherapy
9:00 am Patient-Derived Tumor Xenografts in Humanized NSG-SGM3 Mice: A New Immuno-Oncology Platform
Synopsis
• The addition of 3 human cytokines (GM-CSF, IL-3 & Kit Ligand) into the NSG mouse provide for a more robust myeloid compartment after humanization
• Showcase data on the myeloid engraftment kinetics and also show checkpoint inhibitor efficacy against several PDX
9:30 am Breaking Down the Current Variety of Syngeneics Available for Better Model Selection
Synopsis
• Assess the current landscape of syngeneic models that are available for IO research
• Discuss the limitations of these models and how they can be accounted for as part of the research process
10:00 am Speed Networking
11:00 am New Genetically Engineered Mouse Models for Brain Cancer & their IO Applications
Synopsis
• Utilizing MADR single-copy somatic transgenic genetic platform to enable rapid
and flexible modeling of tumors that show high correspondence with
patient cancers
• Demonstrating MADR’s utility in the single-cell resolution investigation of tumor
and immune interactions
• Examples of exploiting the MADR system for preclinical therapeutic discovery and testing
11:30 am Patient-Derived Experimental Models for Translational Cancer Research
Synopsis
• Patient-derived organoids (PDO) and Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) are patient-relevant platforms for efficacy evaluation of cancer therapeutics
• PDX-derived organoids (PDXO) is a new in vitro platform featuring both patient relevance and scalability
• Leveraging our extensive PDX collection to run surrogate clinical trials in a preclinical setting
12:00 pm Panel Discussion: Taking a Step Back – How Can the Preclinical Oncology Field Work Together to Improve the Success Rate of IO Therapeutics?
Synopsis
Steering the candidates with the most potential to the clinic is a difficult task, but one that in the end benefits patients and industry alike. Advancing the field onwards is a task will require collaboration between academia and industry; in vivo and in vitro teams alike. In this panel we’ll discuss where the main ‘sticking points’ are that prevent efficient pipeline advancement?
12:30 pm Lunch & Networking
Recapitulating the Immunological Complexity of the Tumor In Vivo and Vitro Models
Synopsis
The complexity of solid tumors is so extensive that it can be hard for even the most experience immuneoncologist to get their head around. How you can confidently predict the potential knock-on effects that your treatment will have on the tumor and the host is the goal of this session. Bringing together immunological and oncological perspectives, how do you make sure that you choose the right in vivo models to find out the most important info?
1:30 pm Importance of Microenvironment in Evaluating IO Therapy Response in Humanized Mouse Models
Synopsis
• Basis of osteoimmunology and the potential of targeting immune cells in bone metastasis
• Effects of microenvironment on tumor growth and efficacy of immunotherapy
1:45 pm GEMM-Derived Allograft Models of Pancreatic Cancer: Valuable Tool for Preclinical Evaluation of Combinatorial Immunotherapies
Synopsis
• Development and characterization of gemm-derived allograft models – advantages over classical syngeneics, and recapitulation of immune and stromal contexture of human PDAC
• Utility to evaluation immunotherapy combinations to inflame immunologically cold checkpoint refractory tumors
2:15 pm Identifying Predictive & Prognostic Biomarkers through Preclinical Modeling of Syngeneic Tumors
Synopsis
• Evading the host immune response is a recognized hallmark of cancer
• Comprehensive analysis of the immune cells in immunocompetent tumor models is essential for the development of novel therapies and understanding their mechanism of action in vivo
• We have accumulated data from different model systems to identify key differences between tumors that respond (hot) or do not respond (cold) to immunomodulatory agents
2:30 pm Immune Checkpoints; Humanised Preclinical Models for Biologics’ Efficacy & MoA
Synopsis
- Exploring how model design impacts the physiological relevance and the predictability of preclinical outcomes
Modeling Strategies to Enhance the Translational Confidence of Immunotherapy Combinations
Synopsis
The renaissance in cancer immunotherapy is bringing with it added complexity for combinatorial drug development. Given the lack of predictiveness often attributed to current models, huge question marks still center around key study design elements such as dosing, scheduling, escalation strategies and patient
selection. This section will look to elucidate the understanding of the mechanism of action of tested
compounds and help with identifying rationale combination partners for best anti-tumor efficacy.
3:00 pm Supercharging the Tumor Microenvironment with the Engineered Cytokines NKTR-214 & KNTR-255
Synopsis
• The idea of combining the immune modulating properties of checkpoint inhibitors and other immunological medicines with the immune stimulating function of engineered cytokines is conceptually powerful
• Engineered cytokines can more effectively stimulate cytokine receptor pathways, while controlling adverse events
• The combination of NKTR-214 with Opdivo has demonstrated powerful anti-tumor effects and profoundly alters the tumor microenvironment, increasing effector T-cell counts, increasing PD-1 expression on tumor T-cells, and converting PD-L1 negative tumors to positive, while maintaining a more tolerable AE profile than traditional cytokine therapies
• NKTR-255, an IL-15 receptor agonist stimulates NK cells and CD8 memory T cells has the ability to be combined with monoclonal antibodies with ADCC function or with cellular therapies
3:15 pm
Enhancing Preclinical Testing & Improve Translatability of IO Therapeutics with Novel Technologies
Synopsis
The current tools in the preclinical oncologist’s toolkit have served well, but there is a constant need for scientists to widen their array of capabilities to be able to tackle any challenge that may arise. In this section we will look at the unique methods and tools that are being used today to improve the quality and efficiency of current preclinical and translational research.
3:30 pm Afternoon Refreshments & Networking
4:00 pm OncoRat® Enables Faster Establishment of PDX Models in Fewer Passages
Synopsis
• Model engraftment rates are increased 67% in comparison to mouse for nonsmall
cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient samples
• OncoRat delivers tumor masses 10x that of mouse models in half the time – making
PDX studies possible after a single passage, decreasing the risk of genetic drift and
host-specific tumor evolution from multiple passages as observed in mice.
4:15 pm 3D Bioprinting in vitro Tumor Models
Synopsis
• Bioprinting cancer cells to construct in vitro tumor models
• Bioprinting personalised tumor models
• Study chemoresistance, MMP expressions, gene expressions, etc
4:45 pm Emerging Preclinical Models in Oncology: Ex Vivo Platforms & Humanized Mouse Models
Synopsis
• Hematologic malignancies – #thestruggleisreal – challenges and opportunities of modeling disease ex vivo
• Using humanized mouse models to dissect T cell responses for Immuno-oncology therapeutics
• NK Cells therapeutics: Novel humanized in vivo models for innate immune intervention
5:15 pm Multiplex Immunoassays for Tumor Profiling
Synopsis
• Understand the role of Multiplex immunoassays in Immuno-Oncology therapeutic development
• Fully assess the capabilities of this technology and how it can be best applied in development