7:30 am Coffee & Registration

8:25 am Chairs’ Opening Remarks

  • Erin Trachet Senior Director, Scientific Engagement, Translational Drug Development (TD2)

From Bench to Bedside: Leveraging Tumor Models to Establish Relevant Biomarkers & Using Preclinical Data to Support an IND

8:30 am Identifying Potential Biomarkers Before Evaluating in the Clinic

  • Tamar Uziel Scientific Director, Research Fellow; Precision Medicine Oncology, Translational Research, Lead, Abbvie

Synopsis

  • Pre-screening using human tumor-derived models
  • What is the right model to use to identify biomarkers?
  • What is the best experiment to conduct

9:00 am Current & Novel IO Drug Evaluation Methods via Humanized Mouse Models

  • Bin Xie Vice President of Immuno-oncology, Shanghai Lide Biotech Co. Ltd.

Synopsis

  • Introduction and history of IO drug development and the importance of using humanized mouse models to address specific questions
  • Evaluation of current IO platforms and new methods from LIDE, including analysis of several case studies
  • Understanding the spatiotemporal interaction between tissue-infiltrating immune cells and cancer cells via imaging mass cytometry

9:30 am Delving into the Translation Between Proof of Concept to Filing an IND

Synopsis

  • Highlighting the different tumor models used to support IND filing
  • Recommendations for approaching regulatory agencies
  • Tailoring models to the needs and optimizing the design of experimental plans

10:00 am Morning Break & Networking

Applications in Drug Discovery & Screening

Track Moderator: Tamar Uziel, Scientific Director, Research Fellow; Precision Medicine Oncology, Translational Research, Lead, Abbvie

11:00 am Pediatric Brain PDX Models for Preclinical Drug Development

  • Robert Mihalek Principal Scientist and Associate Director - Pharmacology and Oncology, Charles River Laboratories

Synopsis

  • Feasibility and robustness of a tumor-tracking optical imaging system in PDX models  
  • Single mouse trial as a screening tool to characterize PDX cohorts and identify the most efficacious compounds in vivo to overcome the lack of clinical trials for pediatric cancer
  • Preclinical validation set, including molecular characterization of donor patient and PDX 

11:30 am Mastermind Discussions: Elucidating the Value of Using 3D Tissue Models for Drug Screening & Precision Medicine

  • Tamar Uziel Scientific Director, Research Fellow; Precision Medicine Oncology, Translational Research, Lead, Abbvie

Synopsis

  • Evaluating the pros and cons of 3D tissues over a standard cell culture
  • How can organoids be used to reproducibly address circulation?
  • Moving towards standardized protocols when using organoids

Applications for Efficacy Evaluation & Biomarker Discovery

Track Moderator: Erin Trachet, Senior Director, Scientific Engagement, Translational Drug Development (TD2)

11:00 am Elucidating a Novel & Translatable Approach to Leveraging PDX Models

  • Mark Wood Former Senior Scientist - Research & Pharmacology, Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Synopsis

  • Using growth factors from mice to grow tumors
  • Delving into the discovery of a novel compound and its impact on tumor growth
  • Targeting the over-expression of wolframin to increase endoplasmic reticulum stress causing the death and regression of tumors

11:30 am Engineered Microfluidic Tumor Models to Interrogate Cancer Cell Therapy Resistance Mechanisms

  • Aaron Goldman Instructor in Medicine & Associate Bioengineer, Harvard Medical School

Synopsis

  • Examining critical gaps in the translational development of cell therapies that limit their efficacy in the clinic
  • Exploring engineered platforms to study cell therapy activity in diverse patient samples
  • Elucidating the mechanisms that limit cell therapy activity can enable researchers to ‘fail fast’ and improve candidate selection

12:00 pm Lunch Break & Networking

1:00 pm Mastermind Discussion: Assessing the Range of Tumor Models & Their Effectivity in Studying Varying Targets

Synopsis

  • Reflecting on the recent advances in 3D tissues, humanized mouse, and in vitro models
  • How do you effectively select which model to use?
  • Defining which models are best for safety, tolerability, or efficacy

1:30 pm Addressing Patient Resistance & Toxicity by Moving Towards Combination Therapies

Synopsis

  • Overcoming technical roadblocks when studying combination therapies
  • Finding the optimal dose to reduce toxicity
  • Combining a typical xenograft model to represent the target and syngeneic models to represent the tumor microenvironment

1:00 pm Developing Mouse Models for the Preclinical Evaluation of Bispecific Antibodies & Cell Therapies

  • Katja Mohrs Principle Scientist, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

Synopsis

  • Highlighting the evolution in models to enhance CAR-T cells research
  • Advances in accompanying technology for more clinically relevant models

1:30 pm Development of ADC: Use of Model Systems for Understanding Mechanisms, Prioritization and Optimization of T-DXd and Combinations

Synopsis

  • Evaluating the pros and cons of in vitro and in vivo models to facilitate preclinical to clinical translation
  • Improving the ability to predict the efficacy and toxicity of ADC combinations
  • Using combination mechanisms to select model systems

2:00 pm Afternoon Break & Networking

Leveraging Omics Technology & Data to Better Characterize Tumor Microenvironment & Cellular Interactions

2:45 pm Using Multiplex Immunofluorescence to Unlock the Immune Signatures in Solid Tumors

Synopsis

  • Establishing and managing a tumor specimen biobank
  • Identifying immune signatures within solid tumors
  • Analyzing the immune context to guide patient stratification in clinical trials

3:15 pm Enter a New Era of Cancer Research with Spatial Biology

Synopsis

  • Identifying and choosing the right spatial genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic technologies
  • Precisely characterize the tumor microenvironment, cellular interactions, and microanatomical structures
  • Using spatial transcriptomics and biology to understand and model tumor heterogeneity

3:45 pm Chair’s Closing Remarks

3:55 pm End of Conference