Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Geert C. Mudde
Chief Scinetific Officer, OncoQR ML GmbH, Austria
Keynote: Next generation immuno-therapy: tumour specific control of immune checkpoints
Time : 09:55-10:45
Biography:
Dr. Geert C. Mudde received a Ph.D. in immunology from the University of Utrecht in 1985 and started his international professional career at the Swiss Institute for Asthma and Allergy Research in Davos in 1989. In 1992 he joined the pharmaceutical/biotech industry, where he held several senior management positions at the Novartis Research Institute in Vienna, Austria, the Parke Davis Research Institute in Fresnes, France, Ingenium Pharmaceuticals, Martinsried, Germany, and at igeneon AG, Vienna, Austria. Finally, in 2006, while joining Baxter BioScience in Vienna as interim manager, Dr. Mudde co-founded the biotech company f-star Biotechnology, where he served as “Chief Scientific Officer” from 2007 to 2009. In 2009, together with Christof Langer, he started to develop the S-TIR™ technology platform for human specific therapeutic vaccines which led to the foundation of S-TARget therapeutics GmbH in 2010. Since then he serves as CSO and managing director for S-TARget therapeutics as well as for the S-TIR™ technology spin-off companies OncoQR ML GmbH and TYG oncology Ltd., which were both founded in 2013.
Abstract:
Using the S-TIR™ technology platform for human specific therapeutic vaccines OncoQR ML has developed two prototype vaccines for treatment of pancreatic cancer (TYG100) and breast cancer (OQR200). Vaccines derived from this platform consist of 2 modules, the disease specific module, “immunogen” and the generic module, “warhead”, which directs the vaccines to CD32 on antigen presenting cells, especially pDCs and B cells. The immunogen in oncology is a tumour associated auto-antigen, against which under normal conditions no clinically relevant immune responses can be induced. We will present conclusive proof that it is finally possible to overcome all the tricks of cancer cells to prevent therapeutic immune responses. No more need for bulk infusion of very expensive and artificial monoclonal antibodies, which either try to mimic tumour specific B cell responses (e.g. Herceptin and Perjeta) OR try to activate cytotoxic T cells, that by chance may also kill tumours (e.g. Opdivo, Yervoy, Keytruda). S-TIR™ vaccines fully activate both arms of the patient’s own immune system resulting in tumour specific polyclonal IgG responses simultaneously with the generation and activation of tumour specific cytotoxic T cells. The responses are reversible and boostable, thus allowing fine-tuning of the clinical responses on a patient to patient basis. S-TIR™ vaccines in contrast to the current checkpoint inhibitors do not induce autoimmune disease and are tumours specific.
Keynote Forum
Fariba Ahmadizar
Erasmus University Medical Centre, Netherlands
Keynote: Antibiotic use in relation with long term morbidities
Time : 11:20-12:05
Biography:
Fariba Ahmadizar is pursuing her PharmD degree and has completed her MSc and PhD in Pharmacoepidemiology from Utrecht University in 2016. She is now a Post-doctoral Researcher at Erasmus University Medical Center. She has published more than 20 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has been serving as an Editorial Board Member in international journals.
Abstract:
Global increasing rates in prevalence of childhood asthma and allergy suggest a substantial role of environmental factors. Evidence showed that modifiable factors such as gut microbiome have a key role in the maturation of the neonatal immune system. Factors influencing the immune system such as antibiotics might have an effect on asthma and allergy susceptibilities later in life. Therefore, we aimed to study the association between use of antibiotics during the first two years of life and the risk of developing childhood asthma and allergic symptoms including eczema and hay fever. Data from two large childhood cohorts were used. Generation R (n=7,393, the Netherlands) and SEATON (n=924, Scotland, UK) and a systematic review and meta-analysis (34 published studies). Odds ratios (ORs) were derived from logistic regression analysis within each database followed by pooling the results using a fixed or random-effect model. Antibiotic use in early life was statistically significantly associated with an increased risk of asthma (OR: 2.18, 95% CI: 1.04-4.60; I2: 76.3%) and increased risk of allergic symptoms; OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.13-1.34; I2: 77.0% for hay fever and OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.15-1.37; I2: 74.2% for eczema later in life. Our findings in this study revealed that children treated with antibiotics in the first two years of life are more likely to develop asthma and allergy later in life.
