Precision Oncology Symposia Series
The Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute is hosting a series of symposia to spotlight different areas of Precision Oncology research. The series kicked off on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 with the “Advances in Cancer Vaccines” symposium. A second symposium on Theranostics was held in February 2025 and a third symposium on Artificial Intelligence was held in May 2025.
The series will resume in 2026 with a symposium on functional precision oncology on March 26, 2026 and a symposium centered on new approaches to undruggable targets is planned for May 19, 2026.
Upcoming Events
Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute Symposium on Functional Precision Oncology
On March 26, 2026 the Sloan Precision Oncology Institute is hosting a symposium on Functional Precision Oncology. Over the past decade, there has been an increasing interest in using direct functional assays on patient derived tumor cells for both translational research and to identify potentially effective therapies for cancer patients. The symposium will highlight current efforts on the application of ex vivo functional testing for both translational research and clinical applications with sessions exploring technical and computational advances, integration of functional testing with genomics, clinical and structural roadblocks to implementing functional testing, and clinical trial results from both liquid and solid tumors.
The Functional Precision Oncology Symposium is co-hosted by Dr. Chris Kemp, Professor, Human Biology Division, Fred Hutch Cancer Center and Dr. Venu Pillarisetty, Professor, Surgical Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine.
Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute Drugging the Undruggable Symposium
A fifth symposium, co-hosted by Dr. Behnam Nabet is planned for May 19, 2026 and and will be centered on new approaches to formerly undruggable targets.
This symposium will explore the frontier of drug discovery, specifically addressing traditionally "undruggable" targets—those previously inaccessible through conventional small-molecule approaches. Our focus will be on groundbreaking modalities that are revolutionizing chemical biology and therapeutic development. Key sessions will dive into the mechanistic principles, clinical applications, and technological advancements of molecular glues, proximity-inducing compounds and targeted degraders (e.g., PROTACs). We will examine how these innovative strategies leverage the cell's own machinery to modulate protein function or induce targeted protein degradation. Join leading experts to discuss the latest breakthroughs, challenges, and future directions in turning previously elusive disease drivers into viable therapeutic opportunities for cancer and other diseases.
Additional information for the symposium will be made available through the events calendar page. Registration will open in early January 2026.
Please check back here for updates or request to join our email list to receive emails about our upcoming events.
More to Explore at Fred Hutch Cancer Center
TRACER Rare Cancers Patient and Caregivers Education Symposium
Fred Hutch’s Rare Cancers Program is hosting a first-of-its-kind symposium for patients on Saturday, March 14, 2026. The half-day symposium is designed to empower rare cancer patients and their caregivers by elevating patient voices, fostering connection, demystifying research, and advocating for progress.
Topics include:
- What makes a cancer “rare” — and why it matters
- Navigating diagnosis, treatment, and clinical trials
- A window into the lab — what happens to donated tissue
- Emotional and practical realities of living with rare cancers
This event is hosted by the Transformative Rare Cancer Initiative (TRACER) at Fred Hutch. Questions? Contact: rarecancers@fredhutch.org. Register for free here: TRACER Rare Cancers Patient and Caregivers Education Symposium Registration.
Previous Events
Precision Oncology Retreat
The Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute hosted a half-day retreat at our Fred Hutch South Lake Union campus on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. The event provided a view into a variety of efforts in the field of Precision Oncology from across Fred Hutch and UWMC. Three mini sessions highlighted the application of Precision Oncology in early detection and prevention, the research laboratory, and in clinical medicine. Talks in the first two sessions provided updates on the Vanguard Study for early cancer detection and examined opportunities in precision oncology, such as leveraging routinely collected clinical data for personalized diagnostics, translating targets into therapeutics, and using AI to predict experimental outcomes. The third session discussed clinical applications of precision oncology such as AI digital pathology for decision-making and implementing rapid assessment of molecular profiling by liquid biopsy.
A highlight of the afternoon was a Q&A with keynote Dr. Brian Druker, CEO of OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and JELD-WEN Chair of Leukemia Research. Dr. Druker led the development of imatinib (Gleevec), a landmark targeted therapy for chronic myeloid leukemia and the first precision-designed kinase inhibitor used to treat cancer patients. Druker spoke candidly, bringing both humor and compassion to topics ranging from current barriers in precision oncology, the physician-scientist role, the imperative to improve patient navigation and areas where philanthropy can make the greatest difference in cancer care and research. He emphasized the importance of applying precision oncology research at the community level and striving to address disparities in cancer care. He also shared insights from his career and, in times of economic uncertainty, advised maintaining persistence and focusing on impactful research.
Following the Q&A, awardees of Sloan Precision Oncology Institute research funding provided updates on five research projects supported by Ignition and Technology Dissemination Awards. The event concluded with a patient advocate panel which touched on the patient experience in research, the role of AI in oncology, and the value in including advocates in research design. After an afternoon of talks and discussions, there was a poster session and happy hour in the Arnold Atrium. The session featured 34 posters centered around current efforts in Precision Oncology from faculty, trainees and staff at Fred Hutch and UW.
Thanks to the speakers, patient advocates, poster presenters and everyone who participated in the Inaugural Precision Oncology Retreat. It was great to see so many in attendanceand to hear some of the inventive ways Precision Oncology is being advanced right here at Fred Hutch!
Agenda from the event here: Precision Oncology Retreat
Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute AI Symposium
Recent advances in AI have accelerated opportunities for more precise and personalized treatment, diagnosis and prevention strategies for cancer and other diseases. On May 20, 2025 the Sloan Precision Oncology Institute hosted a symposium on Artificial Intelligence and computational oncology.
The AI Symposium was organized in partnership with our Data Science Lab ("DaSL") and co-hosted by Dr. Jeff Leek, Vice President and Chief Data Officer, Fred Hutch Cancer Center and featured sessions on AI in healthcare, AI in electronic medical record and multimodal data.
Information on speakers and talks are available in the agenda from the event.
Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute Theranostics Symposium
On February 28, 2025 the Sloan Precision Oncology Institute hosted a symposium to explore the field of Theranostics. Theranostics is a cutting-edge approach in precision medicine that merges diagnostics with therapeutics. It typically involves two main components:
- Diagnostic Radiopharmaceuticals: These agents are used for imaging and assessing the expression and distribution of specific targets in cells, particularly cancer cells. By identifying the presence and concentration of these targets, clinicians can tailor treatment strategies more effectively.
- Therapeutic Radiopharmaceuticals: Once the diagnostic phase has pinpointed the targeted cancer tissues, these therapeutic agents deliver localized radiation to destroy the cancer cells. This targeted approach minimizes damage to surrounding healthy tissues, improving treatment outcomes and reducing side effects.
This dual strategy enhances the personalization of cancer treatment, allowing for more effective management of various malignancies. By combining diagnostics and therapy in this way, theranostics holds great promise for improving patient outcomes in oncology.
The Theranostics Symposium was organized in partnership with UW Radiology and co-hosted by Drs. Amir Iravani, Director of Theranostics, and Delphine Chen, Director of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
Information on speakers and talks are available in the agenda from the event.
Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute Symposium: Advances in Cancer Vaccines
The Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute symposia series kicked off with a Cancer Vaccine Symposium on Tuesday, October 1 entitled “Advances in Cancer Vaccines.” The event was hosted and moderated by Dr. Pete Nelson, Dr. Eric Collisson and Dr. Larry Corey and featured experts in the field, with representation from academia and industry.
The symposium was organized into three sessions to highlight the diversity of emerging research in the field:
- Session 1: Personalized Cancer Vaccine Strategies: Preclinical and Clinical Studies
- Session 2: Targets for Cancer Vaccine Development
- Session 3: Understanding and Enhancing Host Responses to Vaccines and Antigens
Session one included three talks from investigators whose research aims to better understand how to leverage an individual's immune system to develop more effective and personalized cancer vaccines. Session two’s presentations explored novel targets for cancer vaccines and the important interplay with the individual’s tumor microenvironment. Lastly, session three focused on recontextualizing cancer vaccine delivery methods and the pros and cons of each approach in different clinical settings. The morning and afternoon each concluded with a lively panel discussion where speakers fielded valuable follow up questions from the audience and expanded upon the research and topics presented during their talks.
Many more topics were covered. Additional information on speakers and talks are available in the agenda from the event.
Opening Remarks
Eric Collisson, MD and Jeff Leek, PhD
8:30 a.m. - 8:40 a.m.
Session 1 | AI in Healthcare
Hannaneh Hajishirzi, PhD, Associate Professor, Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering
Post-training language models, reasoning, and the role of data and algorithms
08:40 a.m. - 09:05 a.m.
Eliezer M. Van Allen, MD, Chief of the Division of Population Sciences and the Chandra Nohria Family Chair for AI in Cancer Research, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Enhancing precision cancer medicine with biologically guided artificial intelligence
Precision cancer medicine, which has the overarching goal of using molecular, pathologic, and clinical data to match the patients with the optimal therapies, has begun to transform cancer care in many domains. However, there remain significant challenges implementing this strategy for patients, particularly related to (i) synthesizing all prior knowledge about molecular states that are relevant to selective treatment response, (ii) relating these properties to patient-specific molecular, pathologic, and clinical patterns, and (iii) delivering these insights in a proper manner at the point-of-care. Increasingly, novel artificial intelligence (AI) strategies grounded in biological and clinical principles are making significant impact in addressing each of these challenges. In this presentation, Dr. Eliezer Van Allen will share emerging AI technologies for enhancing these approaches, with concrete examples on how they are informing the present and future of precision cancer medicine.
09:05 a.m. - 09:30 a.m.
Pang Wei Koh, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Washington and Research Scientist, Allen Institute for AI
Measuring Data Privacy and Profiling Model Weaknesses
Rigorous evaluation is central to reliably deploying AI in medical settings. This talk will discuss two recent projects on evaluating AI datasets and models. First, on evaluating data: Koh will introduce a reidentification attack for sanitized text data and show that state-of-the-art methods for data sanitization convey a false sense of privacy. Second, on evaluating models: Koh will describe EvalTree, an automated method for profiling model weaknesses to precisely identify where it fails and provide actionable guidance for improvement.
09:30 a.m. - 09:55 a.m.
Break
Coffee & Refreshments Available
09:55 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.
Session 2 | AI in Electronic Medical Record
Travis Zack, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
Adapting and using language models for medical information retrieval
Language models have become a powerful tool for research in clinical oncology. However, there are many variables in how to best adapt and utilize these tools for information retrieval and utilization remains. This talk will cover experiments on the use and application of both proprietary and open language models in clinical oncology information retrieval, as well as an example of how they can be useful.
10:10 a.m. - 10:35 a.m.
Kenneth L. Kehl, MD, MPH, Physician, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Artificial intelligence in cancer care and clinical research
This talk will review the rapid evolution in AI technology over the last decade and summarize how it can be applied to routinely generated clinical data for patients with cancer to drive discovery and expand access to clinical trials.
10:35 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Rui Zhang, PhD, FACMI, FAMIA, Professor and Division Chief, Division of Computational Health Sciences, University of Minnesota
Large language models and AI to advance cancer phenotype extraction and cardiotoxicity prediction
This talk will introduce cancer-domain large language models developed to extract cancer phenotypes and generate diagnosis from electronic health records. This advancement holds significant implications for predicting cardiotoxicity related to cancer treatment.
11:00 a.m. - 11:25 a.m.
Panel Discussion – Q/A
Moderated by Elizabeth Krakow, MD, CM, MS
Featuring all speakers from morning sessions + audience
11:25 a.m. - 12:05 p.m.
Break for Lunch
12:05 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Keynote Address
Ali Farhadi, PhD, CEO, Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI2) and Professor, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington
When AI meets science
12:45 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Break
Refreshments Available
1:50 p.m. - 2:10 p.m.
Session 3 | Multimodal Data
Adam Yala, PhD, Assistant Professor, Computational Precision Health, University of California, Berkley
Towards modeling everything for personalized cancer care
Personalized cancer care means delivering the right intervention to each patient at the right time, balancing potential benefits against harms. Using cancer screening as a case study, Dr. Adam Yala presents work to advance this Pareto frontier across three dimensions: (1) predicting patient outcomes from rich clinical data, (2) designing risk-tailored intervention strategies, and (3) evaluating and translating these strategies into practice.
01:40 p.m. - 02:05 p.m.
Sohrab Shah, PhD, Chief, Computational Oncology, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Professor, Weill Cornell Medical College
Multimodal analysis as a frontier of computational oncology
In this talk, Dr. Sohrab Shah will discuss how multimodal data integration is advancing computational oncology research at different scales. Dr. Shah will show progress in integrating data from patient diagnostic information for improved risk prediction models and at the level of single cell data for improved understanding of tumor-immune interactions and spatial biology in cancer. In particular, this talk will focus on i) 'late fusion' models for H&E whole slide image + text integration for predicting risk of recurrence in breast cancer in the real world data setting; and ii) a new graph-based neural network method for encoding spatial measurements for spatial transcriptomic and multiplexed immunofluorescence data.
2:05 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Robert Grant, MD, PhD, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network
Charting a path to AI-augmented clinical oncology
In this talk, Dr. Robet Grant will explore how AI will improve cancer care, using examples from his research program focused on prediction models of treatment-related toxicities.
2:30 p.m. - 2:55 p.m.
Panel Discussion – Q/A
Moderated by: Mark Bridge, MS
Featuring all speakers from afternoon session + audience
02:55 p.m. - 03:35 p.m.
Concluding Remarks
3:35 p.m. - 3:40 p.m.
Reception
Hors d'oeuvres and beverages with symposium speakers and attendees
3:40 p.m. - 4:40 p.m.
Sze Suites, Thomas Building
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Welcome and Introduction
Delphine Chen, MD and Amir Iravani, MD
8:30 a.m. - 8:35 a.m.
Session 1 | Advances in radiochemistry synthesis and production: How do we choose what we should develop?
Cathy S. Cutler, PhD FSRS, FSNMMI, Chair of IP, Isotope Research & Production Program (IP), Brookhaven National Laboratory
Theranostics: Opportunities and Challenges
Recent theranostic approvals for neuroendocrine tumors and prostate cancer have expanded the utilization of radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT), and there is significant near-term potential for further expansion across multiple tumor types. A significant growth is being observed in clinical trials and company investment and the need for isotopes and resources to meet the demand. This talk will focus on where we are in meeting this demand.
08:35 a.m. - 08:55 a.m.
Peter Scott, PhD, Professor of Radiology and Director of Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Michigan
We are explorers in radiochemical space: adventures in PET imaging, Artificial Intelligence and theranostics
The unprecedented growth in nuclear medicine and theranostics is putting enormous demands on radiopharmaceutical manufacturers. This presentation will provide an overview of nuclear medicine clinical care and research at the University of Michigan, as well as an overview of our NIH-funded radiochemistry methodology program.
08:55 a.m. - 09:15 a.m.
Mike Evans, PhD, Professor of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco
Chemical strategies to expand the therapeutic window for targeted radiotherapies
This presentation will cover emerging chemical techniques to expand the therapeutic window for targeted radiotherapies, and new targets for radioligand therapy.
09:15 a.m. - 09:35 a.m.
Panel Discussion – Q/A
Moderated by Yawen Li, PhD and Delphine Chen, MD
Featuring all speakers from Session 1 + audience
09:35 a.m. - 10:05 a.m.
Break
Coffee & Refreshments Available
10:05 a.m. - 10:20 a.m.
Session 2 | Understanding target biology in the context of cancer immunity and radiobiology
Reinier Hernandez, PhD, Assistant Professor, Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Novel targets in oncology and theranostic pairs and impact on radiobiology
This presentation will cover recent advancements in radiopharmaceutical agent development. Dr. Hernandez will discuss radiobiological considerations for novel radiopharmaceuticals featuring “unconventional” theranostic pairs as single agents and in combination with other systemic therapies such as immunotherapy.
10:20 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.
Clemens Grassberger, PhD, Associate Professor, Division of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington and Joint Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology Division, Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Impact of radiopharmaceutical therapy on tumor microenvironment & immunity: what can we learn from radiotherapy?
Understanding the impact of radiopharmaceuticals on tumor immunity is crucial for guiding combination regimen with checkpoint inhibitors and other immunotherapeutic approaches. Dr. Grassberger will present the extensive data that exists for external beam radiotherapy and discuss their possible relevance for targeted radionuclides.
10:40 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
John K. Lee, MD, PhD, Associate Professor-in-Residence, University of California, Los Angeles
Molecularly targeted immunotherapeutic approaches for prostate cancer in the era of growing theranostics
This presentation will provide a perspective on therapeutic targets and emerging immune-based treatments including antibody-drug conjugates, T cell engaging antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapies in the field of prostate cancer.
11:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.
Panel Discussion – Q/A
Moderated by Omar Mian MD, PhD and Evan Yu, MD
Featuring all speakers from Session 2 + audience
11:20 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.
Break for Lunch
11:50 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Session 3 | Advances in radiopharmaceutical development, translation, and clinical practice
David Ulmert, MD, PhD, Associate Professor-in-Residence, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology and Director, UCLA Preclinical Theranostics Program, University of California, Los Angeles
Targeting TGFβ-Driven Malignancies and Immune Resistance in Solid Tumors Using LRRC15-Directed Radiotheranostics
LRRC15 is a biomarker in TGFβ-driven mesenchymal cancers and CAFs, contributing to tumor progression and immune evasion. LRRC15-targeted radiotheranostics enables both non-invasive detection and selective ablation of LRRC15+ cells. This presentation will discuss how, to further elucidate the mechanisms captured by this theranostic approach, high-throughput genomic and molecular profiling techniques were utilized to identify key drivers of TGFβ-LRRC15 activity and analyze the tumor microenvironment reprogramming induced by targeted radionuclide treatment.
12:30 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.
Daniel Thorek, PhD, Associate Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, and Co-Director of the Oncologic Imaging Program at Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine
Alpha vs beta emitters: from radiobiology to dosimetry and beyond
Targeted radiopharmaceutical therapies induce on-tumor and background genomic damage cascades. We are at the outset of our understanding of how these complex systems can be optimized for cancer treatments. This talk will discuss the background of alpha and beta particle therapies, tools being leveraged to study their impact, and noninvasive tools that can be implemented in the pre- and clinical setting to optimize their use.
12:50 p.m. - 1:10 p.m.
Carlos Uribe, PhD, MCCPM, Leader Clinical Nuclear Medicine Physics, Molecular Imaging and Therapy, BC Cancer; Associate Scientist, Integrative Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute and Clinical Assistant Professor, Radiology, University of British Columbia
Advances in radiopharmaceutical dosimetry: from standardization to clinical impact
This presentation will explore the key differences between external beam radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and radiopharmaceutical therapies, highlighting the role of dosimetry in treatment optimization. Dr. Uribe will discuss the essential components needed for accurate dosimetry, ongoing efforts in standardization, and conclude with a real-world example of current clinical applications.
01:10 p.m. - 01:30 p.m.
Panel Discussion – Q/A
Moderated by Robert S. Miyaoka, PhD and Amir Iravani, MD
Featuring all speakers from Session 3 + audience
01:30 p.m. - 02:00 p.m.
Break
Refreshments Available
2:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.
Session 4 | Facilitating translational research and clinical trials
Julie Sutcliffe, PhD, Professor, Internal Medicine and Biomedical Engineering and Co-Director, Center for Molecular and Genomic Imaging, University of California, Davis
Alphavbeta6 targeted imaging and therapy: bench to bedside
Dr. Sutcliffe and her team have identified the integrin αvβ6 as a clinically relevant target and as such have focused significant efforts to develop, optimize and translate high affinity peptides that target αvβ6 for both imaging and treatment. The integrin αvβ6 is an epithelial-specific cell surface receptor that is undetectable in healthy adult epithelium but is significantly upregulated in a wide range of epithelial derived cancers. During her presentation Dr. Sutcliffe will describe some of her team’s efforts during their 20 year journey to translate compounds from the bench to the bedside.
02:15 p.m. - 02:35 p.m.
Freddy E. Escorcia, MD, PhD, Physician-Scientist, Bethesda, MD
De novo radiopharmaceutical therapy development: lessons learned
Radiotheranostics have changed how we diagnose and treat human cancers. However, many of the agents being evaluated now are derivatives of molecules specific to targets we have known about for decades. For the modality to gain a firmer foundation, systematic development of novel agents is needed—that is new molecules specific to new targets for new diseases. Using hepatocellular carcinoma, a radiosensitive cancer for which there is both a need for functional imaging and improved treatments, Dr. Escorcia shares work attempting to address these unmet clinical needs from his lab and beyond.
2:35 p.m. - 2:55 p.m.
Brenda Sandmaier, MD, Deputy Director and Professor, Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutch Cancer Center and Professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine
Alpha emitter radiopharmaceutical therapy in hematological malignancies
Dr. Sandmaier will discuss the preclinical development and translation to first-in-human studies of astatine-211 radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies used as conditioning prior to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.
2:55 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Panel Discussion – Q/A
Moderated by Amir Iravani, MD and Delphine Chen, MD
Featuring all speakers from Session 4 + audience
03:15 p.m. - 03:45 p.m.
Concluding Remarks
Delphine Chen, MD and Amir Iravani, MD
3:45 p.m. - 3:50 p.m.
Reception
Hors d'oeuvres and beverages with symposium speakers and attendees
3:50 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Welcome and Introduction
Pete Nelson, MD and Larry Corey, MD
8:30 a.m. - 8:40 a.m.
Session 1 | Personalized Cancer Vaccine Strategies: Preclinical and Clinical Studies
Keith Knutson, PhD, Andrew A. and Mary S. Sugg Professor of Cancer Research Professor of Immunology, Mayo Clinic
Customized Vaccines for Cancer
Technologic improvements over the past decade have ushered in a new era of cancer vaccines. In this lecture, I will discuss how bioinformatics, new manufacturing approaches, and immune checkpoint blockade have resulted in the development and clinical translation of innovative vaccine strategies at the Mayo Clinic and other institutions. The discussion will include the use of vaccines across disease settings including treatment, prevention of relapse, and primary prevention.
08:40 a.m. - 09:00 a.m.
Mark Yarchoan, MD, Associate Professor of Medical Oncology, Johns Hopkins University
Targeting 'public' and 'private' neoantigens in liver cancer
We will review the results of a recent clinical trial of a personalized therapeutic cancer vaccine for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the interim results of an ongoing clinical trial of a personalized therapeutic cancer vaccine for fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC), a rare fusion-driven cancer affecting children and young adults. The advantages and disadvantages of targeting 'public' versus 'private' neoantigens in the context of low tumor mutational burden cancers such as liver cancers will be reviewed.
09:05 a.m. - 09:25 a.m.
Karin Jooss, PhD, Executive Vice President and Head of Research & Development, Gritstone bio, Inc.
Development of a Neoantigen-directed Individualized Cancer Vaccine
The presentation will cover the following:
- Development of a neural network (AI) for neoantigen selection
- Selection of vaccine platforms and regimen
- Learnings from FIH study
09:30 a.m. - 09:50 a.m.
Break
Coffee & Refreshments Available
09:50 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.
Session 2 | Targets for Cancer Vaccine Development
Christopher Haqq, MD, PhD, Head of Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer, Elicio Therapeutics
Amplifying Tumor Specific Immunity through Lymph Node Targeted mKRAS-specific Amphiphile Vaccine in Gastrointestinal Tumors
Lymph node targeted amphiphile vaccine ELI-002 was evaluated in n=39 MRD relapsed pancreatic and colorectal adenocarcinoma patients who had minimal residual disease relapse (MRD) following locoregional treatment. There were no dose limiting toxicities, and over 84% induced mKRAS-specific T cell responses which included both CD4+ and CD8+ cells and associated with antigen spreading. T cell responses correlated with preliminary antitumor activity including reduction and clearance of MRD, and disease-free survival.
10:10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Nora Disis, MD, Professor, UW/Member, FHCC & Director, UW Cancer Vaccine Institute
Breast cancer vaccines: from treatment to prevention
Advances in our understanding of the type of immune responses needed to eradicate cancer, the definition of hundreds of tumor antigens, and advances in vaccine delivery technologies have put us at a tipping point in cancer vaccine development. Many cancer vaccines are now being advanced in the adjuvant setting to determine whether immunization can prevent disease recurrence. Other vaccines targeting both mutated and nonmutated tumor associated proteins are being used in the prophylactic setting to prevent the development of disease. Breast cancer has been used as a model tumor for clinical studies of both therapeutic vaccines to prevent disease recurrence and cancer prevention vaccines.
10:35 a.m. - 10:55 a.m.
Niranjan Y. Sardesai, PhD, Founder, President & CEO, Geneos Therapeutics
Personalized DNA Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines: Phase 1/2 trial in advanced hepatocellular cancer
Advances in next-generation sequencing have facilitated the identification of mutation associated neoantigens in patient tumors and the development of personalized therapeutic cancer vaccines (PTCV) targeting them. The presentation will discuss Phase 1/2 clinical trial efficacy results in advanced hepatocellular cancer using a DNA based personalized cancer vaccine platform in combination with the immune checkpoint agent pembrolizumab. Immune correlative and mechanistic data will be presented highlighting the PTCV mediated expansion of the clonal repertoire of tumor neoantigen directed CD8 T cells and their trafficking into the tumor.
11:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.
Panel Discussion – Q/A
Featuring all speakers from morning sessions + audience
11:25 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Break for Lunch
12:00 p.m. - 12:40 p.m.
Session 3 | Understanding and Enhancing Host Responses to Vaccines and Antigens
Jay A. Berzofsky, MD, PhD, Chief, Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH
Synergies of cancer vaccines with novel immunomodulatory agents: custom combinations for each tumor microenvironment
Cancer vaccine efficacy may require blockade of negative regulation, and conversely, such blockade of negative regulation, like checkpoint inhibitors, may require cancer vaccines to work effectively in cold tumors. Thus, the two modalities should synergize. Our murine studies explored how examination of the tumor microenvironment can inform the selection of the best combinations of first and second-generation checkpoint inhibitors and blockers of other regulatory mechanisms with cancer vaccines to design customized immunotherapies for each tumor/cancer patient.
12:40 p.m. - 01:00 p.m.
Elias Sayour, MD, PhD, Bonnie R. Freeman Professor for Pediatric Oncology Research, University of Florida
Sensitizing response to immunotherapy with RNA vaccines
This talk will discuss new mRNA vaccine approaches leveraging multilamellar lipid particle aggregate (LPA) delivery systems. This talk will also discuss opportunities for personalized and universal vaccines to sensitize immunotherapeutic responses in refractory cancers like glioblastoma.
1:05 p.m. - 1:25 p.m.
Michael Fischbach, PhD, Liu (Liao) Family Professor of Bioengineering, Stanford University
Understanding and manipulating immune modulation by the microbiome
Certain members of the commensal microbiota elicit a potent T cell response upon colonization. In this talk, I will describe a project in which we explore the functional properties of colonist-induced T cells by engineering the skin bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis to express tumor antigens anchored to secreted or cell-surface proteins. Upon colonization, engineered S. epidermidis elicits tumor-specific T cells that circulate, infiltrate local and metastatic lesions, and exert cytotoxic activity, showing that the immune response to a colonist can be redirected against a target of therapeutic interest by expressing a target-derived antigen in a commensal.
1:30 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.
Break
Refreshments Available
1:50 p.m. - 2:10 p.m.
Yves Levy, MD, PhD, Director of Vaccine Research Institute (Inserm, France)
A new method of delivery of pathogenic or tumor antigens to Dendritic Cells: targeted immunotherapy
We have developed an immunotherapy platform aimed to enhance immunity against pathogens and cancer by exploiting the capacity of dendritic cells (DCs) to initiate potent immunity by efficient uptake and presentation of endocytosed material. Delivery of antigens to DCs using anti-CD40 receptor-specific humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibodies induced robust and long-lasting antigen-specific immune responses in several preclinical models and in phase 1/2a clinical studies (HIV, SARS-CoV-2, HPV-induced cancer).
2:10 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Matthias Stephan, MD, PhD, Professor, Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutch Cancer Center
New methods for enhancing delivery of gene therapy and cancer vaccines
Our group is developing injectable nanoreagent as well as implantable biomaterial scaffolds that can program circulating T cells to recognize tumor antigens. I will present strategies to adapt this approach into a novel cancer vaccine in which host T cells are engineered with T-cell receptors (TCR) genes. These genes will provide the lymphocytes with tumor-recognizing capabilities, which can then be selectively expanded by treatment with a peptide vaccine recognized by the programmed TCR. We anticipate this new vaccine strategy will provide an inexpensive, facile, and broadly applicable option that can generate anti-tumor immunity “on demand” in a variety of settings.
2:35 p.m. - 2:55 p.m.
Panel Discussion – Q/A
Featuring all speakers from afternoon session + audience
03:00 p.m. - 03:30 p.m.
Concluding Remarks
Pete Nelson, MD and Larry Corey, MD
3:30 p.m. - 3:40 p.m.
Reception
Hors d'oeuvres and beverages with symposium speakers and attendees
3:40 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Double Helix Café
Fred Hutch Cancer Center