Conference Day One
Wednesday, November 19
7:30 am Morning Coffee & Registration
8:25 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Pinpointing the Right Tumor Targets to Unlock Clinical Efficacy & Enable Relevant Immune Responses for Clinical Success
8:30 am Enhancing Vaccine Efficacy Through Improved T Cell Priming to Advance Neoantigen Discovery & Antigen Presentation
Synopsis
• Investigating dendritic cell biology and antigen presentation pathways that drive effective CD8+ and CD4+ T cell priming to increase functional T cell infiltration and improve vaccine-induced tumor clearance
• Applying refined antigen selection strategies to expand immunogenicity across tumor types to enhance breadth of response and overcome immune evasion mechanisms
9:00 am Leveraging Immunopeptidomics to Validate Endogenous Antigen Presentation & De-Risk Epitope Selection
Synopsis
• Using mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidomics to directly identify MHC-bound peptides from tumor tissue to confirm which predicted antigens are truly presented
• Detecting post-translationally modified, cryptic, or low-abundance peptides that escape standard analysis to overcome predictive blind spots
• Incorporating immunopeptidomics into early discovery workflows to de-risk antigen selection, reduce false positives, and support regulatory confidence in epitope relevance
9:30 am Exploring New Worlds in mRNA: The Next Generation of Discovery and Design
Synopsis
The promise of mRNA therapeutics is transformative, yet persistent challenges in design, synthesis, and scalability hinder progress. Twist Bioscience is bridging these gaps by delivering tailored, high-throughput DNA synthesis and precision mRNA production that empower researchers to explore expansive sequence spaces, including complex and previously intractable constructs. Our platform accelerates innovation by addressing critical bottlenecks in mRNA production, enabling faster iteration and robust optimization of therapeutic candidates. Supported by streamlined ordering workflows and expert in-house scientific guidance, Twist meets researchers where they are, transforming concepts into high-quality sequences with unmatched speed and reliability. This presentation will showcase how Twist’s integrated solutions, enhanced by artificial intelligence for sequence optimization and antibody discovery, are driving the next generation of mRNA-based therapeutics and biologics, empowering customers to unlock new possibilities in therapeutic development.
10:00 am Activating the Immune System With Whole-Tumor Vaccines: Harnessing Shared & Neoantigens to Remodel the Tumor Microenvironment
Synopsis
• Leveraging whole tumor cells as antigen-presenting tools to stimulate immune responses effectively
• Combining shared tumor-associated antigens and patient-specific neoantigens in a single vaccine format to broaden immune coverage and overcome tumor heterogeneity
• Presenting preclinical data on TME remodelling and immune activation in ovarian cancer models to validate mechanism and guide clinical translation
• Enhancing immune potency with rational adjuvant selection and delivery strategy to improve response durability and therapeutic efficacy
10:30 am Morning Break & Speed Networking
Synopsis
Our dedicated speed networking session is the perfect opportunity to have in-depth conversations and forge long-lasting connections with fellow technical experts working within Personalized Cancer Vaccines
Neoantigen Strategy: Solving the Prediction–Validation Gap to Identify Potent, Patient- Specific Targets That Accelerate Clinical Success & Enable Scalable Manufacturing
11:30 am Expanding the Neoantigen Strategy Beyond Melanoma: Evolving Target Selection Across Tumor Types to Expand PCV Applicability
Synopsis
• Translating lessons from V940 to inform indication expansion and optimize antigen design across tumor types with differing immune responsiveness
• Validating evolving antigen strategies in early-stage settings to accelerate clinical translation and enable faster access
• Navigating regulatory considerations to determine when antigen selection strategy constitutes a new product vs an extension of platform intent
12:00 pm Ensuring RNA Quality: Sequencing-Based Validation for Manufacturing Success
Synopsis
• Design cell–type–specific RNA sequences to optimize therapeutic potential
• Validate manufacturing robustness with sequencing-based analysis, including assessment of dsRNA impurities and poly(A) tail length
• Evaluate delivery vehicle effects on RNA stability and cellular uptake
12:30 pm Advancing Personalized Cancer Vaccines Through AI-Driven Antigen Prediction & Clinical Translation
Synopsis
• How NEC Bio’s AI models improve the precision and relevance of neoantigen prediction, driving stronger immune responses and measurable patient benefit
• Integrating immunogenicity data and clinical outcomes to continuously refine AI models and improve predictive performance
• Insights from NECVAX-NEO1, a bacteria-based oral PCV, in improving delivery, accessibility, and patient experience beyond injectable formats
1:00 pm Lunch Break
2:00 pm Nanofilament-Directed Immunotherapy Ignites Robust Antitumor Vaccine Responses & Overcomes Neoantigen Prediction Bottlenecks
Synopsis
• Bioengineered nanofilaments bypass the need to map individual neoantigens by directly converting cancer cells into targets for the immune system
• Nanofilament biologic activities orchestrate the immune response – from tumor antigen capture to T-cell activation
• Nanofilament-Directed Immunotherapy offers an off-the-shelf solution to ignite a robust antitumor vaccine response against the patient’s complete tumor antigen repertoire
2:30 pm Personalis NeXT Platform: Precision Neoantigen Selection & MRD Detection
Synopsis
The Personalis NeXT Platform integrates deep tumor tissue profiling with ultrasensitive plasma-based monitoring to support neoantigen-based immunotherapy development.
• ImmunoID NeXT delivers comprehensive immunogenomic profiling from tumor tissue, enabling accurate neoantigen selection through validated exome/transcriptome assays, and neoantigen predictions trained on immunopeptidomics data
• NeXT Personal is a tumor-informed, plasma-based assay for detecting molecular residual disease and recurrence earlier, with longitudinal variant tracking for real-time insight into disease progression
• Together, these assays provide a unified view from tumor to circulation, enhancing precision oncology strategies
Decode the Tumor, Design the Cure: Prioritizing Indications, Overcoming Immune Barriers, & Visualizing the Tumor Microenvironment to Build Better PCVs
3:00 pm Using ctDNA & Immune Biomarkers to Capture Dynamic Tumor Biology, Monitor Treatment Response, & Guide Smarter Vaccine Design
Synopsis
• Using ctDNA as a biomarker to monitor treatment response
• Harnessing ctDNA to fine-tune vaccine design based on evolving tumor profiles for reducing clinical failure
• Using biomarker signatures like CD80, PD-L1, and CD4/CD8 ratios to assess immunogenic potential and stratify patients most likely to benefit from PCVs
• Translating dynamic tumor insights into actionable design pivots to optimize a durable response
3:30 pm Afternoon Break & Poster Session
Synopsis
Contribute to the conversation and share your cutting-edge research with like-minded PCV experts. To present a poster, register your place and submit an abstract highlighting your breakthroughs. *Please visit the website for T&Cs for presenting a poster
4:30 pm Roundtable: Determining Optimal Duration of Cancer Vaccine Therapy to Maximize Immune Durability, Minimize Patient Burden, & Improve Long- Term Outcomes
Synopsis
• How to define the right length of vaccine administration in advanced and adjuvant settings to maximize durable immune responses and reduce relapse risk
• How to weigh the trade-offs between prolonged treatment and patient quality of life to avoid unnecessary long-term psychological burden
• How to tailor duration strategies by modality (RNA, DNA, peptides) to minimize side effects and achieve sustained clinical benefit
5:00 pm Using the Patient’s Own Tumor to Eliminate Neoantigen Prediction & Redesign Clinical Trials
Synopsis
• Deploying a unique mechanism that bypasses complex neoantigen prediction by letting the patient’s own tumor drive antigen presentation, eliminating the need for upfront epitope mapping
• Cutting manufacturing costs and compressing turnaround to just three weeks by growing tumor-derived cells directly to avoid extensive sequencing, synthesis, and custom design
• Targeting patients with minimal residual disease and healthy immune systems to maximize vaccine response, moving beyond late-stage metastatic settings where immune function is severely compromised
• Incorporating adjuvant strategies that strengthen immune activation earlier in the disease course, improving the odds of durable remission