7:15 am Check-In & Coffee
Understanding the Inherent Advantages of NK Biology to Spearhead Future Development
8:15 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
8:30 am Industry Leader’s Fireside Chat: Discussing Present Advancements & Challenges in the Natural Killer Space to Envision the Future of NK Therapy
Synopsis
- Discussing key advancements in the NK space to highlight the therapeutic potential of NK biology
- Sharing the latest findings in NK therapy and what this means for this field
- What are the biggest hurdles in this space that still need to be overcome?
9:00 am Clinical-Grade Manufacturing of Hard-to Transduce Cells Using Baboon Envelope Pseudotyped Lentiviral Vector
Synopsis
- Clinical-grade manufacturing of hard-to-transduce cells remains challenging since currently available technologies either lead to low transduction efficiencies or are unsuitable for clinical production
- Baboon envelope pseudotyped lentiviral vectors (BaEVLVV) facilitate the genetic engineering of hard-to-transduce cells such as NK, γδT, B cells and hematopoietic stemcells overcoming the limitations offered by other vector types
- We present here the first BaEV LVV platform for clinical-grade cell and gene therapy manufacturing enabling to overcome production challenges of therapies based on hard-to-transduce cells
9:30 am Saving Sophie: The Mom, the Scientist, and their Journey to Cancer
Synopsis
- Sharing the incredible story of Sophie who was diagnosed with a low-grade tumor at 8 ½ months old
- After 8 failed toxic treatments and 11 surgeries, Sophie received NKore’s NK101, a supercharged NK therapy developed in partnership with Dr. Anahid Jewett from the UCLA
- Sophie is now the healthiest she has ever been and NKore is on a journey to bring their therapy to market to help patients everywhere have access to the revolutionary benefits of NK therapy
10:00 am Morning Break & Speed Networking
Synopsis
As the NK community is reunited, this valuable session will ensure you can reconnect with your peers in the room to make new and lasting connections. Also, don’t forget to enjoy some refreshments before we split off into the two different tracks: Preclinical Development, Clinical Manufacturing & Development
Preclinical Development
Improving Resistance of NKs to the Tumor Microenvironment to Target Solid Tumors
11:00 am Harnessing Synergy: Boosting NK Cell Efficacy with Agonist Combinations
Synopsis
- Using an IL-15 analog for enhanced NK potency and proliferation
- Boosting NK cytokine mediated killing of tumor cells
11:30 am Generation of Allogeneic CAR-NKT Cells from Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells Using a Clinically Guided Culture Method
Synopsis
- Generate HSPC-engineered allogeneic CAR-NKT cells using a clinically guided culture method, with high yield, high purity, and robustness
- These allogeneic CAR-NKT cells:
- Demonstrated potent antitumor efficacy and multiple tumortargeting mechanisms
- Depleted immunosuppressive cells in the tumor microenvironment and antagonized tumor immune evasion
- Exhibited a stable hypoimmunogenic phenotype, and did not induce detectable graft versus host disease or cytokine release syndrome
Clinical Manufacturing & Development
Leveraging Combination Approaches for Increased Clinical Efficacy of NK Therapy
11:00 am In Vivo Activation of mINK Cells with INKmuneTM – Results from a Phase I-IIClinical Trial in Patients with Metastatic, Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Synopsis
- Discussing interim clinical results from using a tumor cell “psuedokine” to activate and recruit NK cells to target solid tumors in vivo
- Highlighting key considerations when moving NK trials from tertiary to secondary clinical Settings
11:30 am Employing Attenuated & Killed Gram-Negative Bacteria to Induce NK-Mediated Anti-Tumor Immunity
Synopsis
- Taking advantage of a rapidly cleared, multi-immune receptor agonist package to induce safe, systemic innate and adaptive immune activation in pre-clinical models (Pulse-Prime hypothesis)
- Confirmation of the Pulse-Prime hypothesis in an advanced solid tumor clinical trial
12:00 pm Lunch Break & Networking
Optimizing Strategies for Genetic Modification of NK Cells to Create Advanced Soldiers
1:00 pm Gene Editing Approaches for Donor-Derived NK Cells for Targeting Solid Tumors
Synopsis
- Discussing cutting-edge solutions to delivering genetic cargo to NK cells such as using Baboon Pseudo type Gamma Retroviral Vector
- Compare and contrast differences between knockouts plus transduction and transduction alone in NK cells
1:30 pm Accelerate Pre-Clinical Development of NK Cells
Synopsis
- Creating a standardized approach for technology transfer and development given
- Changing customer needs, and early phase product life cycle management
- Case study for CAR-NK process and analytical development
- Preparing processes and methods for transfer into the cGMP environment
1:40 pm Incorporating Gene Circuit & Synthetic Biology Engineering into Next Generation Allogeneic Cell Therapies
Synopsis
- Discuss how complex gene circuits can be used to generate smarter cell therapies that overcome fundamental treatment challenges for oncology
- Explore the importance of gene circuit optimization
- Demonstrate successful implementation of gene circuit and synthetic biology approaches into robust multi-cargo expressing gene circuits
2:10 pm Optimizing Engineered Stealth Features for Allogeneic Cell Therapies
Synopsis
- Comprehensive allo-evasion engineering addressing both cellular and humoral allo-rejection mechanisms:
- HLA knock-out to prevent T-cell rejection
- HLA class I surrogate overexpression and TASR technology to prevent NK cell rejection
- Sharing preclinical and clinical insights of this approach in NHL and autoimmune disease
Developing Engagers to Efficiently Recruit NK Cells for Anti-Cancer Activity
1:00 pm Influencing the Beta Catenin Pathway Through a GPC3/NKp46 NK Cell Engager, Turning Cold Tumors Hot & Reversing NK Cell Dysfunction
Synopsis
- Sharing insights into novel mechanisms of cell engagement to recruit both NK and T-cells to cold tumor sites by influencing the Beta Catenin Pathway
- Discussing using a NKp46 as an NK engager in combination with a full FC region to reverse exhaustion/dysfunction of NK cells
1:30 pm Showcasing Advantages of Tri-Specific Killer Engagers to Turbocharge NK Recruitment & Potency
Synopsis
- Discussing how tri-specific killer engagers enhance NK cell activity by simultaneously targeting multiple antigens to improve tumor recognition and destruction
- Highlight mechanisms of synergistic effects observed with tri-specific engagers, such as enhanced cytotoxicity and increased cytokine release
- Review preclinical and clinical data showcasing the efficacy of tri-specific engagers in boosting NK cell potency
2:00 pm Optimizing Patient Selection Through Advanced Stratification Algorithms to Ensure Clinical Benefit of NK Therapy
Synopsis
• Discover which biomarkers are most indicative of NK therapy efficacy and patient response
• Understand how to link specific biomarkers with clinical outcomes to better predict treatment success and patient prognosis
2:40 pm Afternoon Break & Poster Session
Clinical Showcase: Sharing our Current Understanding of NK Therapies in Clinical Settings to Accelerate Therapy Development
3:30 pm Scalable iPSC-Derived Hematopoietic Stem & Progenitor Cell (HSPC) Manufacturing in Vertical-Wheel Bioreactors for Clinical Cell Therapy Production
Synopsis
- Define critical process parameters to maximize yield and quality of HSPC production using Vertical-Wheel bioreactors
- Develop scalable HSPC manufacturing with high lymphoid potential for downstream differentiation to iNK, gd-iT, and ab-iT effector cell types
- IPSC-derived T cell expansion in vertical-wheel bioreactors provides a path for clinical g/d iT manufacturing
4:00 pm Multi-Donor-Derived Approach Generating a Unique Phenotypic Profile of NK Cells that can Eliminate Solid Tumors
Synopsis
- Understanding the scientific basis and mechanisms behind combining NK cells from multiple donors predefined HLA-C and KIRs genotypes into one product
- Highlighting key advantages of this approach including advanced NK education and license for kill
- Showcasing clinical data of this approach from three different clinical trials in patients with solid tumors
4:30 pm Diving into the Clinical Efficacy of Supercharged NK Cells to Further Highlight their Numerous Benefits
Synopsis
- Discussing the long-term effects of administering supercharged NK cells to patients
- Outlining the unique development of supercharged NK cells using osteoclasts and probiotic bacteria
- Evaluating the mechanistic overview gained from studying supercharged NK cells including understanding of upregulated levels of anti-apoptotic genes and downregulated pro-apoptotic genes for enhanced longevity, persistence, and ability to target differentiated tumors with high MHC class I expression