12th Immuno-Oncology Summit 2024 – Philadelphia: Highlights and Event Recap

The 12th Immuno-Oncology Summit 2024 was held in Philadelphia, PA on August 7-9, 2024. The annual event serves as a vital platform for exchanging high-quality research and fostering collaboration in the ever-evolving landscape of immuno-oncology. Topics discussed included: 

• Bispecific Antibodies for Cancer Immunotherapy 

• Advances in CAR T Therapy 

• Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines 

• Emerging Tech for IO Targeting and Discovery 

• Emerging Cell-Based Immunotherapies 

• Tumor Microenvironment 

→ Biointron’s Highlighted Points: 

1. Bispecific Breakthroughs: Reimagining Design, Manufacturing, & Safety 

• Creating cancer-specific neoantigens by exploiting covalent inhibitors and targeting them with bispecific antibodies unites targeted and immune therapies. (NYU Grossman School of Medicine) 

• Adapting T cell engagers to target the massive intracellular proteome has been challenging due to low cell-surface density antigen presentation. Geometry plays an important role in efficiently targeting low density cell-surface pMHC, rather than avidity. (AstraZeneca) 

• The humanized trispecific antibody TAVO412, has two distinct anti-EGFR nanobody domains, an anti-cMet Fab arm, and an anti-VEGF ScFv. It infiltrates solid tumor stromal barriers to treat patients with gastric, TNBC, and pancreatic cancer subtypes. (Tavotek Biotherapeutics) 

2. Breaking Barriers in CAR T: Engineering, Synergistic Strategies, & Beyond 

• iPSC-derived CD8ab CAR T cells: Early TCR or CAR expression promotes the acquisition of an innate phenotype, which is averted by timed and calibrated CAR expression. (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) 

• Proposed precision medicine approach for B-cell malignancies using CAR T cells involves engineering T cells with a CAR that recognizes the IGHV4-34 B Cell Receptor to specifically eliminate malignant B-cells. (University of Pennsylvania) 

• Integrated Circuit T Cells (ICTs), a novel engineered T cell design, incorporates multiple functionalities for a promising approach to achieve more precise targeting of solid tumors. (Arsenal Bio) 

3. Innovative Vaccine Strategies to Advance Cancer Immunotherapy 

• A novel personalized therapeutic mRNA lipid nanoparticle vaccine shows efficacy in brain, neck, and oral cancer preclinical and clinical trials. (Cleveland Clinic) 

• Long-read sequencing allows us to resolve a broader spectrum of protein altering genomic events which serve as a richer basis for neoantigen discovery, versus short-read exome sequencing. (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) 

• Non-invasive mRNA delivery via stabilized, lung-optimized lipid nanoparticles for pulmonary applications, and the enhancement of immune responses in mRNA vaccines through integration of multiple, novel adjuvants. (Broad Institute) 

4. Unlocking Precision IO: Innovative Tools, Targets, & Solutions 

• CRISPR screening in immunosuppressive tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) identifies novel targets that reprogram TAMs into immunostimulatory macrophages, leading to abrogation of established tumors. (Weill Cornell Medicine) 

• Predicting therapy outcomes with autoantibody biomarkers in melanoma has shown promising results, holding great potential to personalize cancer therapy for more effective and safer treatments (NYU Grossman School of Medicine) 

• Casdozokitug, a potent and selective anti-IL-27 antibody has demonstrated immune activation and single-agent tumor response, overcoming PD-1 resistance in clinical trials. (Coherus Biosciences 

Thank you for visiting us at our booth at Immuno-Oncology Summit 2024 to learn about our services! We had a great time connecting with you and understanding how we can help you achieve antibody development. Our expert team would be happy to answer any follow-up questions. Feel free to email us at info@biointron.com!