Workshop – IMMUNO-model

Workshop – Models, Challenges And Promises Of Advanced Therapies For Cancer: Nk Cells In The Clinic And Industry

Super Admin — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 17:10:19 +0000

The @immunomodel COST Action workshop MODELS, CHALLENGES AND PROMISES OF ADVANCED THERAPIES FOR CANCER: NK CELLS IN THE CLINIC AND INDUSTRY, organized by @MarValesLab CNB-CSIC, brought together leading international experts to discuss the latest advances in translating NK cell research to the clinic. The meeting featured cutting-edge scientific talks and highly interactive discussions. Particularly engaging were the round tables with regulatory agencies and industry representatives as well as investors, which explored key challenges in moving advanced cell therapies from the laboratory to clinical and commercial development. The event provided an excellent platform for scientific exchange and for strengthening collaborations in the field of NK cell immunotherapy.

3rd IMMUNO-model TGRC Workshop: Young Researchers and Innovators on Immunotherapies – IPO Porto, 25 September 2025

Super Admin — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 08:42:36 +0000

The 3rd IMMUNO-model TGRC Workshop, titled “Young Researchers and Innovators on Immunotherapies: The Future is Now”, took place at IPO Porto, Portugal, on 25 September 2025, in a hybrid format. The workshop brought together 61 participants in total, including early-career researchers from 13 countries and international experts, to share the latest advances in immunotherapy and foster scientific collaboration.

The event opened with a welcome from Prof. Carmen Jerónimo, Director of the IPO Porto Research Center, who highlighted the transformative potential of immuno-oncology research for patient care. Dr. Júlio Oliveira, President of the IPO Porto Board of Directors, stressed IPO Porto’s commitment to nurturing young researchers and fostering initiatives that link scientific discovery with clinical application.

The scientific programme featured 12 selected oral presentations and multiple poster contributions, highlighting novel preclinical models and innovative therapeutic strategies, with studies exploring tumor-immune interactions, combination therapies, and mechanisms of response and resistance to immunotherapy.

The meeting also included presentations by distinguished speakers – Elena Hoffer (Alma.me, Sweden), Paula Videira (NOVA FCT, Portugal), Thiago Carvalho (Fellowsherpa SL, Spain), Leticia Oliveira-Ferrer (UKE, Germany), and Eva Martinez-Balibrea (IGTP, Spain) – who emphasized the importance of transversal skills for early-career researchers, including career planning, science communication, grant writing, and fostering international collaborations.

The workshop concluded with a roundtable discussion on career trajectories and motivations, followed by the presentation of awards for the best oral and poster contributions and a networking session that encouraged scientific exchange and fostered collaborations across Europe.

From the perspective of IMMUNO-model, the workshop highlighted the vibrancy and talent of Europe’s young immuno-oncology community. Importantly, it demonstrated how innovative research is translating discoveries into preclinical models capable of studying tumor response and resistance to immunotherapy, while fostering networking and cross-border collaborations that reinforce the pathway from bench to bedside and ultimately aim to improve patient outcomes.

“IMMUNO-model YRI Meeting – Young Researchers and Innovators on Immunotherapies: The Future is Now”

Super Admin — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 17:21:29 +0000

The event will be held in Porto, Portugal, at the Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto (IPO Porto), on September 25th, 2025 (one full day) and is specifically designed for early career researchers – PhD students, post-doctoral fellows, and other young investigators under 40 years old.

Participants will have the opportunity to present their ongoing research projects in the field of cancer immunotherapy, aligned with the mission of the IMMUNO-model COST Action. The scientific sessions will feature 12 selected oral presentations and a dynamic poster session, chaired by pairs of early career researchers and experienced mentors from diverse backgrounds.

The program also includes keynote talks by established experts, focusing on career development (in both academia and industry), science communication, grant application strategies, and opportunities for international collaboration within the COST framework.

For this YRI Meeting, IMMUNO-Model COST Action will financially support a limited number of participants subject to budget availability. They will be eligible to receive reimbursement for travel and accommodation costs, in line with COST Travel Reimbursement Rules (https://www.cost.eu/uploads/2025/04/Travel_Reimbursement_Rules_2025.pdf )

Please note that the event will be held in a hybrid format, and participants who are not selected for on-site attendance are welcome to join remotely and follow the sessions online.

For more information, please follow our social media channels and check your email for updates.

If you are interested in participating, please fill out the application form available: https://forms.gle/o9ZsTuj2mVhmTJm2A.

The deadline for application submission is July 4^th, 2025.
Applications will be evaluated by the scientific committee based on the quality of the CV and submitted abstract. Results will be communicated to all applicants before July 13^th, 2025.

We believe this meeting will be a valuable opportunity for early-stage researchers to exchange ideas, receive feedback, and build new collaborations within the IMMUNO-model network and beyond.

We are looking forward to meeting you in Porto!

Conference Report: Third IMMUNO-model Annual ConferenceModeling Immunotherapy for Cancer – Bridging Research to Clinical Application

Super Admin — Fri, 23 May 2025 16:53:32 +0000

13–14 May 2025 | University of Warsaw, Poland

The Third IMMUNO-model Annual Conference took place on 13-14 May 2025 at the University of Warsaw, bringing together an international community of 98 researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals dedicated to advancing preclinical immuno-oncology. Organized within the framework of our COST Action, the meeting was held under the theme “Modeling Immunotherapy for Cancer – Bridging Research to Clinical Application”, emphasizing the translational value of preclinical models in cancer immunotherapies.

The scientific programme featured a rich array of invited lectures, selected oral presentations, and poster contributions, structured across four thematic areas: in vitro, in vivo, in silico, and ex vivo models. The opening keynote by David Fernandez-Antoran introduced an innovative immune-epithelioid culture system that enables long-term in vitro modeling of immune-epithelial crosstalk. This was followed by invited talks from José Alexandre Ferreira, who presented glycoengineered cancer models for immunological profiling, and Lucia Gabriele, who showcased 3D microfluidic systems to investigate immune–tumor interactions and drug responses.

Further contributions in the in vitro session included Natalia Marek-Trzonkowska’s presentation on cellular therapy approaches for non-small cell lung cancer and Thomas Sommermann’s overview of dynamic vascularized organ-on-chip platforms. Selected oral presentations added depth, with Emanuela Senjor reporting on the role of cathepsin V inhibition in glioblastoma and NK cell activity, and Silvia López Borrego presenting the impact of MICA alleles on NKG2D modulation in NK cells.

In vivo modeling was opened by Bozena Kaminska, whose keynote lecture focused on dissecting immune heterogeneity in brain tumors using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics. Invited talks by Catarina Brito and Michal Mikula highlighted, respectively, the use of advanced 3D cultures to simulate tumor microenvironments and the development of patient-derived xenografts for functional precision oncology. A special session included IMMUNO-model network updates, followed by selected oral presentations from Jakub Godlewski, who described the evaluation of vaccine-like particles in glioblastoma models; Tianren Shi, who explored determinants of immune infiltration in triple-negative breast cancer through multi-omic analyses; and Marco Barreca, who introduced a tool for mining public pan-cancer transcriptomic data for immuno-oncology research.

A strong presence of early-career researchers was particularly evident in the selected oral presentations, which showcased high-quality work and cutting-edge methodologies. Their active engagement throughout the conference reflected the growing role of young scientists in driving innovation across the field of immuno-oncology.

On the second day, the conference turned to computational and ex vivo approaches. Johannes Textor’s invited talk emphasized the use of mechanistic in silico simulations to guide clinical trial design. Björn Rotter presented methods for RNA analysis from FFPE tissue and liquid biopsies, and Pablo Conesa-Zamora discussed the use of engineered bacteria to deliver neoantigens systemically. Selected oral presentations by Lucia Juhasikova and Uzma Hasan, respectively, highlighted the use of organotypic slice cultures to evaluate immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer and a personalized ex vivo platform to characterize immune responses in tumor slices.

The closing session on ex vivo models featured invited talks by Gunes Esendagli on T cell migration using microfluidic platforms and Nataliia Beztsinna on the use of patient-derived organoids and fresh tissue cultures for drug testing.

Throughout the event, poster sessions provided an interactive platform for both early-career and senior researchers to share novel findings, with topics ranging from immune evasion and tumor microenvironment remodeling to nanovaccine development and spatial immunomics.

The conference also included working group meetings of the IMMUNO-model network, reinforcing its collaborative spirit. The event successfully showcased the value of integrated, multidisciplinary preclinical modeling in the development of innovative and effective cancer immunotherapies, reaffirming the IMMUNO-model initiative’s commitment to fostering translational research and cross-sector collaboration in immuno-oncology.

Report on IMMUNO-model Workshop: Harmonizing In Vivo Models of Immunotherapy – Past, Present and Future Directions

Super Admin — Wed, 07 May 2025 16:22:06 +0000

IMMUNO-model Workshop: Harmonizing In Vivo Models of Immunotherapy – Past, Present and Future Directions (WG2) took place on 7–8 April 2025 in Bergen, Norway, bringing together 53 participants in a hybrid format to discuss in vivo models for immunotherapy. The event focused on the goals of Working Group 2 (WG2): advancing preclinical models, fostering data sharing, and strengthening translational collaboration in immuno-oncology.

The workshop opened with welcome remarks from WG2 Leader Emmet Mc Cormack and featured an engaging scientific program with excellent presentations from early-career and senior researchers. Speakers addressed diverse topics, including zebrafish and canine companion models, humanized mice, nanoparticle delivery systems and bone marrow organoids. The workshop effectively showcased a broad range of in vivo immunotherapy models enabling participants to reflect on common strengths and limitations such as predictive power, clinical relevance, and translational potential. Invited speakers included Rita Fior (Portugal), Johanne Jacobsen (Norway), and Enni Markkanen (Switzerland), whose presentations highlighted innovative approaches and future directions in modeling immune responses to cancer.

Sessions were moderated by Emmet Mc Cormack, Calum Leitch, and Vibeke Samuelsen Fosse (University of Bergen), and included contributions from academia, clinical institutions, and industry. Poster sessions and coffee breaks provided additional opportunities for networking and collaboration. Virtual participants engaged via Zoom live streams and chat function, which enabled interaction and exchanges throughout the sessions.

Day 2 featured a recap of key insights and a strategic planning session focused on defining WG2 objectives and identifying common challenges in in vivo modeling for immunotherapy. The engaging discussions also offered a valuable opportunity for both early-career and senior researchers to openly reflect on the challenges and opportunities of academic career development, leading to meaningful insights and new connections.

The workshop successfully strengthened the IMMUNO-model network, encouraged new collaborations, and laid the groundwork for a joint WG2 publication.

Feedback of participant:

“The workshop was extremely well organised.

Most of the talks were very very interesting, with a large input from female presenters and from early career presenters.

Discussion was very good both officially during the workshop and informally during the evening out and the breaks. Maybe a small negative – the signposting to the workshop on the first day was small and I missed it and walked right past it – luckily a helpful student brought us directly to the building ( we were already very close)..”

We thank the organizers Prof. Emmet Mc Cormack, Calum Leitch and Zinayida Fandalyuk from University of Bergen, Norway, for their great work and effort!

IMMUNO-model Workshop: Harmonizing in vivo models of immunotherapy, past, present and future directions of WG2

Super Admin — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 14:17:32 +0000

IMMUNO-model Workshop: Harmonizing in vivo models of immunotherapy, past, present and future directions of WG

7-8 April 2025, Bergen, Norway

Key dates

Pre-registration: now open
Deadline for Abstract submission: March 17^th, 2025 (Extended)
Deadline for in-person final registration: March 17^th, 2025 (Extended)
Deadline for online participation: March 23^rd , 2025

Registration

The workshop will be a hybrid event, pre-registration is now open.
Registration is open to both IMMUNO-model members and non-members.
Registration is free (refreshments and drinks during coffee breaks will be provided. only lunches and social dinner will have a fee).
Deadline for in-person registration: March 10, 2025.
Deadline for virtual registration: March 23, 2025.
Links for virtual attendance will be provided to registered attendees.
Both in-person and virtual participants must register here: https://skjemaker.app.uib.no/view.php?

Travel expense reimbursement eligibility

Speakers and abstract presenters will be eligible for reimbursement subject to budget availability. Priority will be given to IMMUNO-model COST Action members.

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

Participants are welcome to submit their abstract for oral or poster presentation using the link here: https://skjemaker.app.uib.no/view.php?id=18529984

Deadline for Abstract submission: March 17^th, 2025 (Extended)

Selected Confirmed speakers

Enni Markkanen (University of Zurich, Switzerland)

“From Canine Companions to Cancer Cures: The Value of Dogs for Immuno-Oncology”

Rita Fior (Foundation, Porto, Portugal)

“Zebrafish Avatars: a platform for personalized medicine and discovery of innate immune mechanisms and modulators for cancer immunotherapy”

Carla Panisello (Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Badalona, Spain)

“NSGS mice humanized with cord blood mononuclear cells show sustained and functional myeloid-lymphoid representation with limited graft-versus-host-disease””

Scientific Program

Day 1: Monday April 7, 2025
08:30 – 09:0‎‎0‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎	Registration
09:00 – 09:05	Welcome and Opening: Emmet Mc Cormack, WG2 Leader
09:05 – 09:35	Zebrafish Avatars: a platform for personalized medicine and discovery of innate immune mechanisms and modulators for cancer immunotherapy Rita Fior, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
09:35 – 09:55	An angiogenesis-independent mechanism of action for anti-VEGFA therapies Cátia Rebelo de Almeida, ,Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
09:55 – 10:25	Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Immunotherapy: Leveraging Chitosan/γ-PGA Nanoparticles with IFN-γ therapy Flávia Castro, i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, Portugal
10:25 – 10:45	CD276 immature glycosylation drives colorectal cancer aggressiveness and T-cell-mediated immune escape Andrea Piexoto, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto), Portugal
10:45 – 11:00	Coffee break & poster viewing
11:00 – 11:15	Session moderator Calum Leitch, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway
11:15 – 11:45*	TBA Johanne T Jacobsen, Institute for Immunology and Transfusion Medicine University of Oslo, Norway
11:45 – 12:05	Implementing human bone marrow organoids to interrogate microenvironmental influences on the efficacy of blood cancer immunotherapies Zoë Wong, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
12:05 – 12:35	Engineering allorejection-resistant adaptive NK cell therapies Karen Martin, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
12:35 – 12:55	NSGS mice humanized with cord blood mononuclear cells show sustained and functional myeloid-lymphoid representation with limited graft-versus-host-disease Carla Panisello, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
13:00 – 13:45	Lunch & poster viewing
13:45 – 13:55	Session moderator Vibeke Samuelsen Fosse, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway
13:55 – 14:25	From Canine Companions to Cancer Cures: The Value of Dogs for Immuno-Oncology Enni Markkanen, Institute of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology University of Zurich, Switzerland
14:25 – 14:55	The Use of Minipigs to Assess Drug Safety of Immunotherapies Samuel Chuang, Charles River Laboratories, USA
14:55 – 15:25	CRISPR-Generated Mouse Models for Cancer Immunotherapy Martin Thomsen, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
15:25 – 15:40	Coffee break & poster viewing
15:40 – 16:00	Immunotherapy: Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment through Personalized Approaches Uzma Hasan, International Center for Infectiology Research (CIRI), Lyon, France
16:00 – 16:20	The possibilities of determining cytokines by various methods during immunotherapy in cancer patients and their clinical significance Vladimir Jurisic, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Serbia
16:20 – 16:40	Bioinspired nanoparticles for targeted cancer therapy Wujun Xu, Department of Technical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Finland
16:40	Closing remarks. Group photo
18:00	Dinner

Day 2: Tuesday April 8, 2025

Welcome & Recap (15 min)

Summary of Day 1 key themes: What are the major insights from the talks?

Defining IMMUNO-model COST Action and WG2 objectives:

Objective 1: To build a critical mass of immuno-oncology researchers to foster knowledge exchange and the development of a joint research agenda around preclinical models in immunotherapy

Objective 2: To collect, integrate and organise experimental data on immunotherapy models and establish open-access standardised protocols and guidelines.

Objective 3: To facilitate the transferability of knowledge between basic, translational, and clinical investigators, and with SMEs.

Agenda for Day 2:

Identify critical challenges in in vivo models for immunotherapy
Define scope and structure for a collaborative WG2 publication
Future activities of WG2

Focused discussion sessions: Challenges & Opportunities (1 hour)

Brainstorming speed discussion sessions on the following aspects of in vivo immunotherapy models:

Animal Models (e.g. rodents, canines, minipigs, non-human primates)
Non-mammalian Models (e.g. zebrafish, chicken embryo, drosophila)
Standardisation & Reproducibility: How do we improve consistency across different models for immuno-oncology studies?
Translational Gaps: What are the biggest barriers in moving from preclinical models to clinical trials?
Emerging Technologies: What new tools (e.g. AI digital twin, advanced imaging, organoids, microfluidic lab-on-chip) should be incorporated?

10 – 15 minutes per topic. The goal should be to summarise current state of the field and identify 2-3 challenges/opportunities for each theme that could be addressed to improve immunotherapy modelling.

Panel Discussion: Turning Insights into Action (45 min)

Moderators (WG2 leader and Expert Discussion Leads) will consolidate outcomes into a concrete publication plan. Key questions:

Should we write a single comprehensive review or a series of focused papers?
Tentative paper structure and key themes
Identify potential authors and writing groups to lead each section
Timelines and plan follow-up meetings
Target journals (e.g. Nature Reviews, Cancer Immunology Research, Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, Immunotherapy Advances)

WG2 leaders will draft a roadmap for publication.

Future Activities for WG2 (45 min)

Goal: Expand WG2’s impact through publications, funding and networking.

Database of in vivo models, standardised protocols and guidelines
Publications (e.g. review and guideline papers)
Funding opportunities (e.g. ERC grant, EIT health, CRI, Cancer Grant Challenges..)
Workshops/Summer schools (e.g. Humanised mice, zebrafish models, in vivo imaging for immunotherapy)
Outreach to cancer/immunology/imaging societies and public engagement
Activities to foster women, minority and early career scientists

End of Workshop Closing Remarks (15 min)

By WG2 leader Emmet Mc Cormack

Registration for 3rd IMMUNO-model Annual Conference, “Modeling Immunotherapy for Cancer: Bridging Research to Clinical Application” is open!

Super Admin — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 14:10:04 +0000

The third IMMUNO-model Annual Conference, “Modeling Immunotherapy for Cancer: Bridging Research to Clinical Application” will take place at University of Warsaw in Poland from 13-14th May 2025. The conference will bring together experts researchers, industry and clinicians in the field of immuno-oncology.

For more info and registration please visit official webpage: www.immunomodelconference.github.io

Key Dates

Pre-registration: now open
Deadline for in-person final registration: 25th April 2025
Deadline for online registration: 9th May 2025
Deadline for Abstract submission: 15th March 2025
Decision and notification of Abstract presentation acceptance: 11th April 2025

Scientific Program Committe

Barbara Breznik – National Institute of Biology, Slovenia
Łukasz Skalniak – Jagiellonian University, Poland
Ginés Luengo Gil – Pathology Department, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), Hospital Universitario Santa Lucía, Spain
Muhammet Karaman – Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Engineering Architecture and Design, Bartin University, Turkey
Devrim Pesen Okvur – Izmir Institute of Technology, Turkey
Hanne Haslene-Hox – SINTEF, Norway
Catarina A. Rodrigues – Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto – IPO-Porto, Portugal
Marta Maleszewska – Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland

Organizing Committe

Marta Maleszewska – Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland
Patrycja Ściślewska – Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland

IMMUNO-model Second Annual Conference report

Super Admin — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 17:35:57 +0000

The international conference “IMMUNO-model Second Annual Conference: From Pre-clinical Models to the Search for Biomarkers in Immuno-Oncology” was held in Bratislava from May 13th to 15th 2024. The conference was preceded by a meeting of Core Group members on May 13th.

The conference, which was organized by the Biomedical Centre of the Slovak Academy of Sciences was officially opened by the Director General Professor Silvia Pastoreková and project coordinator Eva Martínez Balibrea. The event had a hybrid format, with a total number of 125 participants, with 85 scientists from almost all European countries attending in person. There were 40 online conference participants.

A total of 27 interesting scientific lectures were presented at the conference. Among the most prominent speakers were Leticia Oliveira-Ferrer from Germany and Emmanuel Donnadieu from France. At the conference, relatively large blocks were also dedicated to discussions about the activities of individual working groups led by their leaders. 25 posters were presented in the poster sections.

The conference was held within the framework of the project – COST Action IMMUNO-model CA21135, which is dedicated to fostering research and innovation in preclinical immuno-oncology models and creating a collaborative network by bringing together European researchers from the academic, clinical, and industrial sectors. The theme of the conference was to showcase innovative experimental models that offer a link between laboratory research and clinical application, as well as offer insights into the complex interactions between the immune system, the tumor microenvironment, and immunotherapeutic interventions.

For more information, please visit the conference website www.immuno.sav.sk

Organizers and Scientific Committee:

Bozena Smolkova, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center, SAS, Slovakia
Viera Horvathova Kajabova, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center, SAS, Slovakia
Denis Collins, TGRC2 Leader, MC Member, Dublin City University, Ireland (for networking with clinicians)
Hanne Haslene-Hox, TGRC3 Leader, MC Member, SINTEF, Norway (for networking with the industry)
Katrin Kleinmanns, University of Bergen, Norway (representing WG2)
Cristiana Tanase WG1 coLeader, MC Member, Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, Romania (representing WG1)
Christina Sakellariou, Lund University, Sweden (representing WG3)
Rosalinda Sorrentino, WG5 coLeader, UNISA, Italy (representing WG5)
René Winkler, IJC Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, Spain (representing WG4)

A dedicated email address was done: immuno.model@savba.sk

In summary, the 2^nd IMMUNO-model conference served as a dynamic platform for advancing the frontiers of cancer immunotherapy, bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise to drive meaningful progress in the fight against cancer.

2nd Workshop IMMUNO-model TGRC workshop Report

Super Admin — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 17:12:16 +0000

2^ndWorkshop IMMUNO-model TGRC workshop “Immunotherapies: charting a course from the lab to the clinic”, took place in Dublin City University, Ireland on Saturday, the 31st August 2024.

The workshop attendees heard from experts in the pre-clinical, clinical, translational and industry/SME sectors who provided presentations outlining their fields of expertise and the current challenges they face in relation to immunotherapies. The workshop opened with a welcome from Denis Collins, Ireland, and an overview of the COST Action by IMMUNO-model lead Eva Martinez-Balibrea, Spain, and WG3 Co-Lead Maurizio Callari, Italy. Two sessions followed.

The first session concentrated on best practice and current challenges with engaging presentations from David Pinato, UK, Emmet Mc Cormack, Norway and Samuel S. Chuang, Charles River Laboratories, USA on the clinical experience, in vivo models and the CRO setting, respectively. The second session explored beyond state-of-the-art approaches with contributions from Pedro Cruz, Portugal, Rita Fior, Portugal and Kristin Anderson, USA covering novel translational strategies, zebra fish models and engineered cellular therapies. The final session was led by the TGRC Committee members Catarina Rodrigues, Portugal, Hanne Haslene-Hox, Norway, Gianmarco Contino, UK, Uzma Hasa, France and Yari Ciribilli (Italy) and focussed on summarising the learnings from the first two sessions to identify new areas of research and the key challenges in modelling immunotherapy. Some of the key challenges identified included funding and better connections with clinicians and industry.

Number of participants: 55

Target audience: clinical and preclinical researchers in Oncology, Pharmacologists, Immunologists, Pathologists, advanced scientists, postdocs and PhD students and professionals working in immunotherapy and immuno-oncology field.

Scientific & Organizing Committee:

Denis Collins – CA21135 TGRC2 leader (denis.collins@dcu.ie)
Hanne Haslene-Hox – CA21135 TGRC3 leader (hanne.haslene-hox@sintef.no)
Gianmarco Contino – CA21135 TGRC1 leader (g.contino@bham.ac.uk)
Catarina A. Rodrigues – CA21135 TGRC2 coleader (crodrigues@ipatimup.pt)
Yari Ciribilli – CA21135 TGRC1 member (yari.ciribilli@unitn.it)
Hasan Uzma – CA21135 TGRC1 member (uzma.hasan@lyon.unicancer.fr)
Marta M. Bobińska – CA21135 TGRC3 member (marta.maleszewska@uw.edu.pl)

Program with topics
10:00-10:45‎‎‏‏‎	Registration of participants/Arrival of attendees/Tea, coffee, pastries
10:45 -11:00 ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎	Welcome Session Denis Collins, Dublin City University, Ireland
11:00-11:15	IMMUNO-model – who we are, data collected to date Eva Martinez-Balibrea, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Badalona, Spain
11:15-11:35	IMMUNO-model – working group experiences to date Maurizio Callari, Fondazione Michelangelo, Italy
Session 1 – Best practice and current challenges
11:35-11:55	Immunotherapies in the Clinic David Pinato, Imperial College London, UK
11:55-12:15	In vivo and in vitro models of Immunotherapies used in Academia Emmet Mc Cormack, University of Bergen, Norway
12:15-12:35	In vivo and in vitro models of Immunotherapies used in Industry Samuel S. Chuang, Charles River Laboratories, USA
12:35-13:05	Chaired open panel discussion with Session 1 speakers
13:05-14:00	Lunch
Session 2 – Beyond state of the art
14:00-14:20	Novel clinical & translational approaches Pedro Cruz, IPO-Porto, Portugal
14:20-14:40	Novel in vivo approaches to modelling Immunotherapies Rita Fior, Champalimaud Foundation, Portugal
14:40-15:00	Novel in vitro approaches to modelling Immunotherapies Kristin Anderson, University of Virginia, USA
15:00-15:30	Chaired open panel discussion with Session 2 speakers
15:30-16:00	Coffee break and poster session
16:00-16:15	Summary of learnings from Sessions 1 and 2 Gianmarco Contino, University of Birmingham, UK Hanne Haslene Hox, SINTEF, Norway
16:15-17:00	Chaired open panel discussion with attendees to outline key findings from the workshop & Closing Session Catarina A. Rodrigues, IPO-Porto & i3S, Portugal Yari Ciribilli, University of Trento, Italy

1st Annual conference report, Badalona, Spain

Super Admin — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:18:42 +0000

The hybrid conference titled “Exploring the Frontiers of Cancer Immunotherapy: From Models to Breakthroughs” took place on June 1 and 2 at the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute in Badalona (Barcelona, Spain). The event attracted a total 100 in-person and 80 virtual participants on the first day, and 80 in-person and 50 virtual attendees on the second day.

The conference aimed to spotlight novel experimental models that bridge laboratory discoveries on immunotherapy research with clinical breakthroughs. The meeting provided a platform to explore a diverse array of experimental models encompassing in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo approaches, which offer unique opportunities to delve into the intricate interplay between the immune system, tumour microenvironment, and immunotherapy interventions in a controlled and clinically relevant context.

The conference featured six distinguished invited speakers, including renowned figures in the field of immunotherapy such as David Barbie and Silvia Formenti. Their expertise illuminated the latest advancements and future directions in cancer immunotherapy. Moreover, the event showcased the work of other participating researchers through nine selected abstracts for oral presentation and sixteen for poster presentation. This provided a forum for attendees to exchange insights, discuss challenges, and explore innovative strategies for advancing immunotherapy research.

Notably, 49 attendees received travel support attend the conference, underscoring IMMUNO-model’s commitment to facilitating broader participation and knowledge exchange within the scientific community.

In summary, the 1^st IMMUNO-model conference served as a dynamic platform for advancing the frontiers of cancer immunotherapy, bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise to drive meaningful progress in the fight against cancer.

1st Workshop Report “Modelling Immuno-Oncology”

Super Admin — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:33:00 +0000

1^st Workshop “Modelling Immuno-Oncology” took place on March 30th, 2023 as online event. The objective was to provide an introduction to various technologies and various model species.

The “Modeling Immuno-Oncology” workshop focused on in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro models. Internationally renowned speakers presented their work on a rich selection of topics such as targeted therapies, the role of select pathways and translational patient models.

Number of participants: 197, targeted audience: advanced scientists, postdocs and PhD students.

The workshop was very successful and a good starting point for future collaborations within the group.

Program with topics
10:30 – 11:00‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎	Welcome and Opening: IMMUNO-model – what it is about Prof. Johannes Haybaeck, MD, PhD Institute of Pathology, Neuropathology and Molecular Pathology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria
11:00 – 11:20	Treg-targeted therapies for immuno-oncology using humanized mice Gilles Marodon CIMI-PARIS, Sorbonne University, INSERM, CNRS
11:30 – 11:50	Mouse models used to study the adoptive cell therapy to treat tumors Roberta Sommaggio Department of Surgery Oncology and Gastroenterology University of Padova, Italy and Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS
12:00 – 12:20	Gain or loss of function in the STAT5A or STAT5B pathways and consequences for immunity or T-cell cancer initiation and progression Rickard Moriggl Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cancer Research and Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
12:30 – 12:50	Patient-derived cell culture models in translational oncology Christian Regenbrecht CELLphenomics GmbH
13:00 – 13:45	Lunch
13:45 – 14:05	Tailoring nanocarrier delivery-targets with Chemokines Giuseppe Bardi NanoBioInteractions & Nanodiagnostics – Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Genova, Italy)
14:15 – 14:35	Advanced ovarian cancer models for immunotherapy applications – key aspects, major drawbacks, and future perspectives Katrin Kleinmanns Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen
14:45 – 15:05	Modeling the tumor microenvironment heterogeneity and immune vascular cross-talks in ex-vivo microphysiological models Marco Campisi Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dept. of Medical Oncology, Boston, MA, US
15:15 – 15:35	Pet dogs as translational patient models for cancer immunotherapy development Amy LeBlanc Senior Scientist and Director, Comparative Oncology Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health
15:45 – 16:05	Modeling Immuno-Oncology in Humanized Mice Michael Brehm Diabetes Center of Excellence, Program in Molecular Medicine University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
16:15 – 16:30	Closing remarks

2nd Workshop: Joint EUSICA + IMMUNO-model Workshop Report

Super Admin — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:27:20 +0000

2^ndWorkshop Joint EUSICA + IMMUNO-model Workshop: Fostering collaboration to advance sinonasal cancer research and endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery took places on May 3-4, 2023 in hybrid format at the Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. There were 59 participants, mainly researchers and clinicians.

Local Organizers: Christian von Buchwald and Patrick René Gerhard Eriksen from the Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

The Workshop focused on sinonasal tumours, a rare and heterogeneous malignancy, presenting different histological features and clinical behaviour affecting fewer than 1 person out of 100,000 individuals per year worldwide. Although there are no standard or evidence-based therapeutic strategies, immunotherapy may have a role in some types of sinonasal cancers. In this regard, pre-clinical models of sinonasal cancer that are able to test their sensibility to this kind of treatments may boost research in the field. Clinical and translational research aspects in this type of tumours were discussed and IMMUNO-model brought its experience in preclinical models in immuno-oncology. The aim of the workshop was to foster research in this type of tumours and to establish future collaborations with EUSICA. A conference report was published as a result (PMID: 37573683)

Scientific committee:
Christian von Buchwald, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
Eva Martinez-Balibrea, Catalan Institute of Oncology and Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
Matt Lechner, Cancer Institute, University College London, London, UK
Mario Hermsen, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Spain
Leticia Oliveira Ferrer, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany