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 17th, 2025 (Extended)
- Deadline for in-person final registration: March 17th, 2025 (Extended)
- Deadline for online participation: March 23rd , 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 17th, 2025 (Extended)
Selected Confirmed speakers
Scientific Program
Day 1: Monday April 7, 2025 | |
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08:30 – 09:00 | Registration |
09:00 – 09:05 | Welcome and Opening: Emmet Mc Cormack, WG2 Leader
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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 | |
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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
