The British Society for Immunology (BSI) ran their first Immune Therapies Summit at the end of November, which Courteney Arthur and Dr Rhiannon Jenkinson attended. It was a great couple of days and fantastic to discuss science and catch up with people we knew, as well as network and make new connections.
There were some excellent talks across different therapeutic areas, including immune-oncology, autoimmunity, inflammation and neuro-inflammation and the cross-disciplinary conference approach led to interesting discussions and questions. In addition, the breakout focus sessions led to some stimulating discussions within small groups. I attended the targeting innate immunity and beyond checkpoint inhibitors focus sessions, and the discussion was wide-ranging. Having the chance to discuss different perspectives from different viewpoints was a real plus, from the challenges faced from early drug discovery through to clinical trials and then through to the clinician’s perspective of the real-life experience of treating patients with approved therapies.
In terms of the therapeutic modalities and biomarker strategies utilised, these were wide-ranging; the use of vaccines was discussed across oncology, neurodegeneration, and infectious disease. The use of cellular therapy strategies to deplete B cells in patients suffering severe auto-immune disease was inspiring in terms of the positive clinical outcomes for many of the patients for a review, see DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-024-01139-z. Hearing a fantastic synopsis of the IL-23 pathway from its discovery through to its targeting for treating inflammatory diseases was a great example of the translation of blue skies research into clinical treatments. The keynote presentation on viral immunotherapy highlighted several innovative strategies with oncolytic and non-oncolytic viruses for mobilising an anti-tumour response in solid tumours resistant to ICI and how this approach can also target distal metastases.
Finally, three really interesting talks one on how targeting the right therapy to the right patients is key for efficacy; if targeting a specific pathway fails in the clinic but has been positive all the way through discovery and the appropriate biomarkers upregulated in the clinic, how this could be a combination of the right pathway but wrong molecule, potentially the wrong subset of patients or the wrong stage of disease. The second on repurposing of drugs between autoimmune and oncology indications. The third on how understanding biomarkers and the use of biomarkers can help us transition away from ‘imprecision’ medicine in the treatment of arthritis and IBD.
From a CRO perspective, hearing the scientific advances in developing new therapeutics and the challenges people are facing and the research solutions they utilise is inspiring and gets the scientific juices flowing in terms of assays we can develop to support our client’s drug discovery programs.
The BSI should be commended on their approach at enabling discussion, and I’m excited to see how they develop this approach in future conferences.
Anna Willox, PhD
Head of European Business Development
As part of Nexus BioQuest’s ongoing commitment to staying at the forefront of immunology and drug discovery, I had the opportunity to attend the SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) meeting in London this December. This event served as an invaluable platform for networking with industry leaders, learning about the latest advancements in laboratory automation, and exploring new technologies that could enhance our offerings at Nexus BioQuest.
Attending SLAS allowed me to connect with potential partners, discover cutting-edge developments in screening technologies, and exchange insights on best practices in drug discovery. I look forward to leveraging the knowledge and relationships gained at the event to help Nexus BioQuest continue to provide top-tier services for our clients, particularly in areas like immune profiling, cell-based assays, and immunotherapy development.
It was a fantastic experience to engage with experts and peers in the field, and I’m excited to see how the connections and insights from SLAS will help Nexus BioQuest expand its capabilities and strengthen its position in the industry. It was a true pleasure meeting so many inspiring individuals, including Sonia Houghton, Del Trezise, Jeroen Verheyen, Scott Mitchell, Dahir Ahmed, Thomas Richardson, Rob Howes, and reconnecting with familiar faces like Tom Crabbe after many years!
A huge thank you to the organizers, SLAS (Vicki Loise) and ELRIG (Sanj Kumar), as well as the sponsors, for creating such a wonderful opportunity to network and hear exciting presentations on innovations in the bioscience and drug discovery sectors, including new modalities.
I’m already looking forward to next year’s events!
How did you celebrate International Day of Immunology? At Nexus BioQuest we celebrated our favorite immune cell. It has been fun to hear from our collaborators what their favorite immune cell is and why?
Dr Rhiannon Jenkinson (CSO) and Jody Sawyer (VP of Business Development) showcased our services spanning preclinical screening, efficacy, translational models, predictive immunotoxicology and clinical Biomarkers, within the IO, Autoimmunity and Inflammatory space. Connecting with our current clients and meeting new ones. We will be back in 2024, continuing to support companies within the west coast Biotech hubs. Watch our Events page to see when we are visiting or Contact Us in the meantime to see how we can help.
Dr Rhiannon Jenkinson (CSO) and Jody Sawyer (VP of Business Development) had a fantastic time at the IO conference in Boston, meeting with current clients and new companies. After spending time at the conference, visiting the Boston Biotech hub and dining with clients the Nexus BioQuest team were extremely grateful for the fruitful discussions and excited about future collaborations. The Nexus Team will be back in Boston in early 2024 to visit clients and later in the year for the Special AACR conference, see more on our Events page. If you are interested in meeting the team in March 2024 Contact Us