Pre-Conference Workshop Day
Tuesday, April 1
8:00 am Workshop Check-In & Coffee Networking
9:00-12:00 Workshop A
Spearheading Discovery & Validation of Novel Targets to Expand Indication & Treatment Potential
Synopsis
TCR-based therapies open a huge pool of intracellular target antigens that cannot be targeted by other therapeutics, but currently, success has only been seen in a small portion of this target repertoire. Therefore, it is imperative to diversify the range of effective targets, as well as to validate their tumor-specificity to mitigate against off-target effects in healthy tissues. Join this deep dive session to hear case studies on novel target development and collaborate to further efforts to expand the range of effective targets.
This workshop will gather experts to discuss:
• Advancing methods such as mass spectrometry to screen tumor samples and identifying novel antigens which are tumor-specific
• Discussing novel areas with potential for novel targets such as neoantigens and dark genome
• Leveraging bioinformatics and screens to validate tumor-specificity and frequency
• Predicting target peptide prevalence in patients and indications to determine viability for development
12:00 pm Lunch Break & Networking
1:00-4:00 Workshop B
Transforming T-Cell Receptor Engineering & Affinity Maturation to Enhance Specificity & Efficacy While Guaranteeing Safety
Synopsis
TCR molecules are now being engineered and optimized to increase their efficacy through affinity maturation and modifications. However, it is vital to strike the perfect balance between affinity and specificity to ensure maximum efficacy with minimal cross-reactivity. Discuss the benefits of modified TCRs compared to natural molecules, and best practice to safely improve TCR efficacy.
This workshop will gather experts to discuss:
• Engineering T-cell receptors to increase their specificity and decrease the chance of cross-reactivity and off-target effects
• Boosting TCR efficacy by leveraging affinity maturation while maintaining specificity minimizing off-target toxicity
• Considering the benefits and challenges of engineered TCRs compared to natural TCRs to determine best method for your therapeutic
• Reviewing and balancing the need for TCR optimization for both cell and biologic approaches to equip each modality with optimal TCRs