We are delighted to announce the Final IMMUNO-model Annual Conference – Building Bridges in Cancer Immunotherapy Modelling, where we will celebrate the culmination of four years dedicated to fostering research and innovation in the field of preclinical immuno-oncology models. This event will bring together researchers, clinicians and industry partners, to exchange insights and celebrate the achievements of IMMUNO-model community.

The conference will include a scientific program with lectures and poster presentations, as well as
roundtable discussions and opportunities for face-to-face meetings with industry. These interactions
aim to facilitate new collaborations and accelerate the translation of fundamental immuno-oncology
research into treatment advances for patients.

The conference will also host the TGRC Symposium, which will explore gender from both a scientific
and a structural perspective, featuring sessions on gender equality in research and clinical practice, the impact of sex differences on immunology and immunotherapy, and the relevance of incorporating
gender into advanced experimental models. The programme includes invited expert talks, a panel
discussion, and an industry pitching and networking session designed to foster interaction and new
opportunities for collaboration.

The final conference agenda – featuring keynote speakers, invited talks, and short presentations across seven sessions – is now available here.

Book of Abstracts is now available here.

If you would like to join us online please follow this link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/336034053048276?p=F3Ob9o937OBjaLLC6K

Meeting Venue National Institute of Biology (NIB)l, 121 Večna pot, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia,
https://www.nib.si/eng/

GOOGLEMAPS: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Hy3uhgaKoeRb4Xmb6

The National Institute of Biology (NIB) is a leading public research institute in the field of biology and
related natural and environmental sciences in Slovenia.

Reimbursement Speakers and abstract presenters will be eligible for travel reimbursement subject to budget availability and in line with COST Travel Reimbursement Rules (https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2025/11/COST-TRR-Rules-2025-2026.pdf). Priority will be given to IMMUNO-model COST Action members. Successful participants will be notified by 6th of April 2026.

Key Dates

Registration opens: 19/01/2026 – 20/03/2026
Deadline for in-person final registration: 06/04/2026
Deadline for online registration: 06/04/2026
Deadline for Abstract submission: 19/01/2026 – 20/03/2026
Decision and notification of Abstract and reimbursement acceptance: 06/04/2026

TIPS FOR TRAVEL

TRANSPORT

Coming from Jože Pučnik (Brnik) Ljubljana airport:
Buses: https://www.lju-airport.si/en/transport/bus/
you can book it in advance: https://www.nomago.si/en/shuttle/ljubljana-airport
GoOpti shuttle: https://www.goopti.com/en/
Train station in Ljubljana: https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/poi/ljubljana-railway-station/
Transport in the city of Ljubljana:
Walk, rent a bike https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/visitors/travel-information/gettingaround/bicikelj/
For the city bus (LPP) you can use Urbana app, you can get Urbana card or you can simply pay with
your credit card on the bus: https://www.lpp.si/en/payment-methods

RECOMMENDED PLACES TO STAY

ČAD

GOSTILNA, HOTEL, BISTRO ČAD
Cesta na Rožnik 18, 1000 Ljubljana
Contact: https://hotel-cad.si/
walking distance to NIB: 1,8 km/23 min
driving distance to NIB: 1,8 km/2 min
Bus (LPP): line no. 18
walking distance to city centre: 30 min
driving distance to city centre: 3,2 km/10 min

Tivoli boutique inn

Žibertova 15, 1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia | Europe
+386 (0) 59 731 731
info@tivoliboutiqueinn.com
https://tivoliboutiqueinn.com/index.html
walking distance to NIB: 5 km/48 min
driving distance to NIB: 5 km/12 min
Bus (LPP): line no. 18
walking distance to city centre: 20 min
driving distance to city centre: 2 km/ 5 min

InterContinental Ljubljana

Slovenska cesta 59 Ljubljana 1000
Contact: https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/us/en/ljubljana/ljuha/hoteldetail
walking distance to NIB: 4.3 km/51 min
driving distance to NIB: 4,3 km/10 min
Bus (LPP): several+ line no. 18, 19 min
walking distance to city centre: 10 min
driving distance to city centre: 1 km/5 min

Cityhotel Ljubljana

Dalmatinova ulica 15, 1000 Ljubljana
Contact: https://www.cityhotel.si/en/
walking distance to NIB: 3.7 km/51 min
driving distance to NIB: 4,5 km/11 min
Bus (LPP): several+ line no. 18, 19 min
walking distance to city centre: 1 min
driving distance to city centre: 100 m/1 min

Hotel Slon Ljubljana

Slovenska cesta 34 Ljubljana 1000 Slovenia
Contact: https://www.hotelslon.com/
walking distance to NIB: 4.8 km/44 min
driving distance to NIB: 4,8 km/13 min
Bus (LPP) line no. 18: 16 min
walking distance to city centre: 3min

Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons

Pot za Brdom 4, Ljubljana, 1000 Slovenia
Contact: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ljufp-four-points-ljubljana-mons/overview/
walking distance to NIB: 1,9 km/27 min
driving distance to NIB: 3,1 km/6 min
Bus (LPP)/walking distance to city centre: 1h

CONTACTS FOR MORE INFORMATION

Barbara Breznik; barbara.brenzik@nib.si
Metka Novak; metka.novak@nib.si

This event will be held on the 9th February 2026 in Barcelona, at the Science Museum COSMOCAIXA and will feature leading international experts, amongst those who already confirmed participation:

• Frances Balkwill – Centre for Tumour Microenvironment, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London (London, UK).
• Calvin J. Kuo – Stanford University School of Medicine (Palo Alto, USA).
• Maria Carla Parrini – Institut Curie, INSERM, Paris (FR).

Download full program here.

Download Book of Abstracts here.

Who should attend?
Researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals in cancer immunotherapy, translational oncology, and preclinical modelling.

IMMUNO-model members will have the opportunity of presenting their work. For this event, IMMUNO-Model COST Action will financially support some attendants with oral presentations. Selected presenters will be eligible to receive reimbursement for travel and accommodation costs, in line with COST Travel Reimbursement Rules, and subject to funds availability.

Important dates:

• 05/11/2025: Registration opens for abstract submissions and passive attendance
• 15/12/2025: Deadline for submitting abstracts and passive attendance
• 12/01/2026: Confirmation of admission at the event for both abstract presenters and passive attendance

For more information, please follow our social media channels!

Lukasz Skalniak,
Associate Professor

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized cancer treatment. However, ovarian cancer remains a tumor entity in which the success of T cell–based immune checkpoint inhibition therapies has so far been limited. In contrast, the innate immune system—particularly tumor-associated macrophages and dendritic cells—represents a novel and promising therapeutic target that should be further explored in the context of ovarian cancer.

Currently, suitable models that realistically replicate the complex network of cellular interactions in the tumor microenvironment of patients with ovarian cancer and that are suitable for analyzing immunotherapeutic approaches are lacking.

The ioAVATAR research project aims to develop complex ex vivo models—so-called patient AVATARs—that faithfully reproduce the tumor microenvironment of patients with ovarian cancer. These models are intended to enable the investigation and testing of innovative combinatorial immuno-oncological therapy approaches that specifically modulate tumor-associated macrophages and dendritic cells, thereby inducing effective and durable anti-tumor immunity in ovarian cancer. In the long term, the most promising combinations are intended to be translated into clinical application, and patient AVATARS will be further developed for personalized prediction of therapy response. By leveraging already clinically validated antibodies and the interdisciplinary expertise of the ioAVATAR consortium in oncology, immunology, and bioinformatics, the project has an excellent foundation for rapid implementation and clinical translation.

The ioAVATAR consortium brings together five institutions from four European countries, including three COST Action IMMUNO-model members. The project is coordinated by Leticia Oliveira-Ferrer (University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany), vice-chair of COST Action IMMUNO-model, and includes Franziska Brauneck (UKE, Germany), Christoph Caux (Centre Léon Bérard, France), Devrim Pesen Okvur (Izmir Institute of Technology, Turkey), and Rebeca Sanz-Pamplona (Health Research Institute Aragón, Spain).

Join us for a one-day international symposium exploring the latest advances in 3D modelling of immunotherapy, from patient-derived organoids and tumour-on-chip platforms to innovative preclinical models that bring research closer to clinical application.

The event will feature leading international experts, amongst those who already confirmed participation:

• Emile Voest – The Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam (NL)
• Frances Balkwill – Barts Cancer Institute, London (UK)
• Calvin J. Kuo – Stanford University (USA)
• Maria Carla Parrini – Institut Curie, INSERM, Paris (FR)

Who should attend?
Researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals in cancer immunotherapy, translational oncology, and preclinical modelling.

IMMUNO-model members will have the opportunity of presenting their work.

Hybrid format: Attend in person in Barcelona or join us online.

→ Registrations will open at the end of October 2025!

We invite submissions to a new book on Imaging Immune Cells, edited by Dr Doreen Lau (IMMUNO-model Working Group 2 Co-Leader, Brunel University of London Centre for Inflammation Research and Translational Medicine) and Prof. Santiago F. González (Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Bellizona, Switzerland.

This volumewill provide a multidisciplinary overview of cutting-edge imaging technologies, biological models, and computational approaches for visualising immune cell behaviour in health and disease. It will be structured around three thematic sections:

1. Imaging Technologies – from foundational imaging methods to emerging tools spanning molecular to whole-organism scales.
2. Advanced Biological Models – engineered and physiological systems that recapitulate immune environments.
3. Computational and Systems Approaches – AI-driven and multi-omics frameworks for analysing complex imaging data.

Bringing together experts across immunology, imaging science, and data science, this book aims to be a key resource for interdisciplinary teams working at the interface of experimental immunology, imaging, and systems biology.

Each contribution to the PIR series is PubMed and Scopus-indexed, individually accessible and citable upon its online publication via SpringerLink. There are no publication costs for authors, and all contributors will receive free permanent access to the full eBook once the print edition is published.

To express interest or discuss your chapter idea, contact: doreen.lau@brunel.ac.uk.

For more information: https://link.springer.com/series/4983

We’re proud to announce the publication of four comprehensive review articles from Working Group 4, supported by the IMMUNO-model project! These articles explore key advancements in Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy, contributing valuable insights to the scientific community.

Dive into the research:

1⃣ Unleashing the power of CAR-M therapy in solid tumors: a comprehensive review
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1615760/full
2⃣ Challenges in the preclinical design and assessment of CAR-T cells
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1564998/abstract
3⃣ CAR-NK cells: harnessing the power of natural killers for advanced cancer therapy
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1603757/full
4⃣ Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in cancer immunotherapy: from chemotactic recruitment to translational modeling
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1601773/full