Venue: National Institute of Biology, 121 Vecna pot, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Scientific Committee (SC)
Eva Martinez-Balibrea, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, Spain
Vinton Cheng, University of Birmingham, UK
Doreen Lau, Brunel University of London, UK
Rebeca Sanz Pamplona, Aragon Research Health Institute, Spain
Nuno Rodrigues dos Santos, i3S, University of Porto, Portugal
Rosalinda Sorrentino, University of Salerno, Italy
Catarina Rodriques, Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto, Portugal
Barbara Breznik, National Institute of Biology, Slovenia
Metka Novak, National Institute of Biology, Slovenia

Organizing Committee (OC)
Barbara Breznik, National Institute of Biology, Slovenia
Metka Novak, National Institute of Biology, Slovenia
Špela Kladnik, National Institute of Biology, Slovenia
Emanuela Senjor, Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia
Pia Žižek, National Institute of Biology, Slovenia

Overview

The Final IMMUNO-model Annual Conference Building Bridges in Cancer Immunotherapy Modelling was held in Slovenia in May 2026, bringing together project partners, researchers, clinicians, industry representatives, and other stakeholders involved in advancing preclinical cancer  models in immunology research. The event marked the culmination of the IMMUNO-model project and provided an opportunity to present the project’s key achievements, share scientific results, and discuss future directions in the development and application of advanced preclinical immuno-oncology models.

As highlighted by NIB, the conference was intended not only to present the achievements of the IMMUNO-model consortium but also to create conditions for the continued development of innovative cancer immunotherapy approaches and future international collaborations.

The conference aimed to:

Showcase the scientific achievements of the IMMUNO-model consortium and its four years of collaborative work in cancer immunotherapy modelling.

Promote collaboration and networking between academic researchers, clinicians, and industry stakeholders to strengthen translational cancer research.

Advance the development and standardization of preclinical immuno-oncology models, which are essential for understanding immune responses to cancer and for testing new therapeutic strategies.

Accelerate translation of research findings into clinical applications, ultimately improving treatment outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients.

Address gender-related aspects of cancer research and immunotherapy through the TGRC Symposium, including gender equality in research, sex differences in immunology and immunotherapy, and the incorporation of gender considerations into experimental models.

Scientific Program

The conference featured a series of keynote lectures, project presentations, panel discussions, and networking sessions. Project partners presented results achieved across the different work packages, highlighting progress in the development, validation, and application of innovative immunocompetent disease models.

The conference featured keynote lectures by Dr. Jérôme Galon (INSERM, Sorbonne Université, France), Dr. Erik Arntzen (Radboudumc, The Netherlands), Dr. Elisa Oricchio (EPFL, Switzerland), and Prof. Frederik De Smet (KU Leuven, Belgium), who presented recent advances in cancer immunology, translational immunotherapy, tumor microenvironment research, and preclinical modelling approaches.

The conference agenda also included several invited speakers in the TGRC Symposium, such as:

• Shirin Heidari (GENDRO, Switzerland)
• Berna Özdemir (Bern University Hospital, Switzerland)
• Sonja Loges (University Cancer Center Hamburg, Germany)
• Camila Consiglio (Lund University, Sweden)

The conference was structured around five major themes: (i) the TGRC Symposium addressing gender equality and sex differences in immunology and immunotherapy, (ii) scientific sessions on preclinical cancer immunotherapy models and translational research, (iii) poster and short communication sessions, (iv) roundtable discussions fostering collaboration among academia, clinicians and industry, and (v) industry networking and technology-focused presentations.

Particular attention was given to:

• Development of advanced 3D cellular models and patient-derived tumor models.
• Integration of immune components into preclinical disease models.
• Applications of personalized medicine approaches.
• Evaluation of therapeutic responses using physiologically relevant model systems.
• Challenges and opportunities in translating research findings into clinical practice.

The presented results demonstrated the value of advanced model systems in improving our understanding of disease mechanisms and supporting the development of more effective therapeutic strategies.

Key Outcomes

The conference highlighted several important achievements of the IMMUNO-model project:

• Successful establishment and validation of innovative experimental models that better reflect human disease biology.
• Strengthened interdisciplinary collaboration among consortium partners.
• Generation of valuable scientific knowledge supporting translational and personalized medicine approaches.
• Dissemination of project results to the broader scientific and professional community.
• Identification of future collaborative initiatives and funding opportunities.

The discussions emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to develop predictive preclinical models that can reduce the gap between laboratory research and clinical application.

Networking and Dissemination

The event provided an excellent platform for networking and exchange of expertise among participants from different sectors. Researchers had the opportunity to discuss emerging technologies, share best practices, and explore potential future collaborations. 30 posters were presented.

Conclusion

The IMMUNOMODEL Final Conference successfully showcased the scientific achievements and collaborative efforts realized throughout the project. The event demonstrated the significant progress made in the development of advanced immunocompetent disease models and highlighted their potential to accelerate biomedical research and support personalized therapeutic strategies.

The conference concluded with a strong commitment from participants to continue collaborative activities, further develop innovative model systems, and pursue new research opportunities that build upon the foundation established by the IMMUNO-mosel project.

“Dual ultralow and Matrigel protocol for establishment of glioma organoids” by Maria Dudău and colleagues.

This step-by-step protocol describes the establishment of patient-derived glioma organoids using ultralow-attachment and Matrigel-based 3D culture, with applications in drug screening, immunofluorescence and immune co-culture.

A useful tool for modelling glioma and tumour–immune interactions in vitro!

Explore the protocol: https://osf.io/5rdxe/files/9fthz

Contact: Ana-Maria Enciu — ana.enciu@umfcd.ro / ana.enciu@ivb.ro

This stay provided me with hands-on experience in state-of-the-art technologies for studying tumour biology and anti-tumour immunity in physiologically relevant ex vivo models. The knowledge and technical skills gained will enable the implementation of these advanced tumour models in my home laboratory, expanding our capacity to investigate mechanisms of therapy response, immune regulation, and biomarker discovery in precision oncology.

Beyond the technical training, the visit established the basis for a long-term collaboration between our groups, fostering future joint research projects, knowledge exchange, and collaborative funding opportunities in the field of advanced patient-derived tumour models.

Using syngeneic mouse tumor models, we investigated how electrochemotherapy reshapes the tumor microenvironment and influences anti-tumor immune responses. In addition, I shared my expertise in electrochemotherapy and provided practical training on the implementation of electrochemotherapy protocols.

This exchange facilitated bidirectional knowledge transfer, strengthened the collaboration between IPBS Toulouse and the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, and created new opportunities for future joint research projects.

During my two-month STSM at IPBS Toulouse, I gained hands-on experience in spectral flow cytometry and intravital microscopy for studying immune responses following electrochemotherapy.

Using syngeneic mouse tumor models, we investigated how electrochemotherapy reshapes the tumor microenvironment and influences anti-tumor immune responses. In addition, I shared my expertise in electrochemotherapy and provided practical training on the implementation of electrochemotherapy protocols.

This exchange facilitated bidirectional knowledge transfer, strengthened the collaboration between IPBS Toulouse and the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, and created new opportunities for future joint research projects.

Conference venue: Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London, United Kingdom. Conference start and end date: 10/12/2025 to 12/12/2025

Title of the presentation: Blocking Dopamine D2 Receptors Induces Anti-Cancer and Immune Stimulatory Effects in Ex Vivo Patient-Derived Tumour Slice Models of Ovarian Cancer

Type of the presentation: poster

Co-authors: Maria Edwards, Pablo Caruana, Mireia Escar, Jose Luis Corchero, Maria Virtudes Céspedes Other details of the presentation: Presented during the Poster Sesion

Outcome of the conference participation: The congress advanced my academic growth and scientific network greatly. The sessions were excellent, covering the latest findings in immunotherapy approaches, such as CTLA-4/PD-1 blockades, novel bispecific and tri-specific modalities, CAR-T therapy and cancer vaccines.

The opportunity to present my work was also hugely beneficial; multiple ambassadors from industry were very interested in my work, particularly the use of ex vivo tumour slices for drug discovery, and through these interactions I made new contacts. I also had the opportunity to speak to other students who were utilising similar scientific techniques, and we were able to share our knowledge and experience with one another.I am very grateful to COST Action and Immuno-model for their generous support which has allowed me to learn more deeply about immunotherapies, share my knowledge and work on novel immunological models, and further connect with the international scientific community

I am Norbert Nass, investigator at Brandenburg Medical School (MHB), Institute of Pathology in Brandenburg / Havel, Germany. Our major research topic is biomarker development for the prediction of therapy success, mostly for gynecological cancers. In this short-term scientific mission in Daniela Costea´s laboratory in Bergen (Norway), I had the opportunity to get trained in the establishment of organotypic models (3D-OTC) for squamous cell carcinomas of head and neck or vulva and cervix. The learnt techniques will be transferred to our laboratory and will enable us to develop more physiologically relevant models to understand the interaction of tumor cells with the cells of their microenvironment. The established contacts to Daniela´s group and the researchers of the Center for Biomarker Research of Bergen will help us in the establishment of collaborative research projects with the members of the Immuno-Model COST-action and beyond. I really enjoyed the stay and thank the members of the host laboratory and the COST action for this opportunity.

Start and end date: 16/02/2026 to 17/04/2026

I am Ana Margarida Carvalho, a PhD student at i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, and ICBAS Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (Universidade do Porto, Portugal), where I am working on an immune-competent in vitro model of chronic liver disease based on biomaterials and hepatic cells. Through a Short-Term Scientific Mission from the IMMUNO-model COST action, I joined the University Medical Center Groningen (the Netherlands) to work with patient-derived human liver organoids aiming at increasing the physiological relevance of my in vitro disease model. It was an extraordinary opportunity, both on personal and professional levels! I am very grateful to the IMMUNO-model COST action for supporting this research stay.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/margaridafcarv
X: @margaridafcarv

Figures and tables of some experimental results were presented in the STSM scientific report.

The experimental protocols used in this STSM have been previously published [1,2]; no new protocols were developed during the course of this STSM. Nevertheless, if required by the Grant Awarding Coordinator, I may submit the protocols for the IMMUNO-model Knowledge Hub.

References:
[1] Broutier, L., et al., Culture and establishment of self-renewing human and mouse adult liver and pancreas 3D organoids and their genetic manipulation. Nature Protocols, 2016. 11(9): p. 1724–1743.
[2] Huch, M., et al., Long-Term Culture of Genome-Stable Bipotent Stem Cells from Adult Human Liver. Cell, 2015. 160(1): p. 299–312.

Visit to a host organization located in a different country than the country of affiliation by a researcher or innovator for specific work to be carried out and for a determined period of time.

VM: Virtual Mobility

Collaboration in a virtual setting among researchers or innovators within the IMMUNO-model COST Action, to exchange knowledge, learn new techniques, etc.

DC: Dissemination Conference

Funds an oral presentation by an Action Participant of the work of IMMUNO-model COST Action in a high-level conference fully organized by a third party, i.e. not organized nor co-organized by IMMUNO-model.

ITC: Inclusiveness Targeted Countries Conference

Funds an oral presentation of their own work within the scope of IMMUNO-model COST Action by an Action Participant affiliated to a legal entity located in an Inclusiveness Target Country / Near Neighbour Country in a high-level conference fully organized by a third party, i.e. not organized nor co-organized by IMMUNO-model.

YRI: Young Researchers and Innovators Conference

Funds a poster/oral presentation of their own work by a Young Researcher and Innovator (YRI = below 40 years old) in a high-level conference fully organized by a third party, i.e. not organized nor co-organized by IMMUNO-model.

Am I eligible? https://www.cost.eu/am-i-eligible/
Annotated Rules FAQ: https://www.cost.eu/cost-actions/annotated-rules-qa/

For details please visit: https://www.immuno-model.eu/mobility-grants/

STSM contact:
Grant Awarding Coordinator
Dr. Philippe Bertrand