On Demand Webinar

Targeting T Cells Within the Cancer Immunity Cycle

Speakers: Marrit Putker, PhD, Pirouz Daftarian, PhD, and Saskia De Man, PhD

Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy research have paved the way for the development of new clinical treatment options.

The cancer immunity cycle involves several sequential steps leading to an effective T cell-mediated tumor eradication. However, many steps in the cycle can be disrupted, resulting in a tumor evading the host’s immune surveillance and response.

Understanding the cancer immunity cycle as a whole and mechanisms at each step is important for developing immunotherapeutics with a more durable response.

One area of particular interest is the mechanisms and targets capable of modulating and enhancing T cell activity.

In this webinar Dr. Marrit Putker, Dr. Pirouz Daftarian and Dr. Saskia De Man focus on the impact of T cell-directed immunotherapy on the cancer-immunity cycle.

Mechanisms and targets capable of modulating and enhancing T cell activity are presented, including the application of relevant methods such as organoid models and co-cultures, and the integration of High Content Imaging (HCI).

Watch this educational and webinar to learn about:

• Approaches to identify the right assays targeting T cell biology with immunotherapeutics at the different steps of the cancer immunity cycle such as T cell activation, migration, infiltration, and tumor killing.

• Application of a unique 3D organoid platform with immune cell co-culture for immunotherapy studies and the advantages of autologous systems.

• Integration of high content imaging-based screening to evaluate drug responses in 3D assays

• Modeling T cell exhaustion in a more physiologically relevant in
  vitro human system

About The Presenters:

Saskia De Man, PhD, Scientist, Crown Bioscience

Dr. Saskia De Man performed her PhD research at the University of Amsterdam with Renée van Amerongen. Here, she used advanced imaging and gene editing techniques to study WNT/beta-catenin signalling at endogenous levels. During this time, she was also a Fulbright Scholar and joined the lab of Andres Lebensohn at the National Institutes of health for several months. Since finishing her PhD, Saskia has joined the immuno-oncology department at Crown Bioscience the Netherlands, where she applies her knowledge in cell biology and advanced microscopy to help clients test their immune modulatory drugs in a relevant 3D in vitro culture system.

Marrit Putker, PhD, Director, In Vitro and R&D, Crown Bioscience

Dr. Marrit Putker (Director in vitro & R&D) received training in molecular cancer biology at Utrecht University, followed by postdoctoral studies at the MRC LMB (Cambridge, UK) and the Hubrecht Institute (Utrecht, NL). Concentrating on tumor stem cell biology and drug sensitivity, she has developed and gained expertise in state-of-the-art organoid technologies while working in the lab of Prof. Dr. Clevers. In 2020, she joined Crown Bioscience to setup and lead the novel research site in Utrecht. From this organoid-research-dedicated laboratory, she now continues to manage Crown’s in vitro R&D activities, driving collaborations with academic and industry partners around the globe. 

Pirouz Daftarian, PhD, Director, Scientific Engagement, Crown Bioscience

Dr. Pirouz Daftarian completed his PhD training in immunology in Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ottawa, in 1998. Since then, he has been leading studies on cancer immunology and autoimmunity, in academia, and biotech. He joined Crown Bioscience / JSR Life Sciences in 2017 and led the developing applications for IO products and as a Director of Scientific Engagement for models of autoimmunity and In Vitro IO. Of prior experience, Pirouz was with NGM Biopharmaceutical, was a faculty at Miller School of Medicine of University of Miami and a Head Scientist, Cancer Biology, at IMV Inc. Pirouz has authored > 80 peer reviewed papers, has served as a reviewer of DOD, NIH, NCI, is a reviewer for several journals, and acted as a consultant pharma and biotech companies.