Conferences

Meeting topic:

Stromal Immunology in Health and Disease

Why is it important for this conference/topic to be included in the portfolio?

Stromal immunology describes the influence of fibroblasts and endothelial cells on immune cells and immune-driven outcomes. It is fundamental to immunological health and underpins the pathogenesis of many diseases. The emerging collective identity of stromal immunology is already yielding transformative advances, reflected in the rapid increase in stromal-targeting therapies undergoing clinical experimentation. However, many efforts remain siloed in discrete disciplines (lymphoid organ biology, mucosal immunology, developmental immunology, cancer immunology, rheumatic disorder, regenerative medicine, etc), which limits progress. Our overarching goal is to erode these artificial boundaries, promoting the cross-disciplinary collaboration required for the ideation of innovative strategies for...

Why is this the right time to develop this conference/topic?

Current treatments for inflammatory diseases all target immune cells or their inflammatory products. Similarly, cancer treatments target cancer cells or anti-tumor immune responses. Stromal cells are directly pathogenic in these and other conditions, and our understanding of stroma-immune regulation is in a phase of rapid growth. Stromal-targeting therapeutics are now entering clinical investigation, and the timing is therefore critical, as emerging pre-clinical and clinical data are the foundation on which to build this newly recognized specialty. We have consulted field leaders and there is consensus that a North American meeting would be strongly supported for 2025.

What are the important concepts that will be included?

The concept of stromal commonalities between diseases, systems and tissues has gained strong experimental support in the past few years. Our program will highlight the shared biology and the most important differences. Other concepts include acute and chronic stromal cell activation, polarization states and differentiation cues, and stromal memory. We will emphasize key outcomes for immunity and immunotherapy that drive stromal immunology’s ongoing transition from human proof-of-concept towards clinical translation. We will promote the meeting to researchers from diverse disciplines that share stromal activation as a driving mechanism, including cancer, autoimmunity, fibrosis, immunotherapy, transplantation, fundamental immunology and vaccinology.

Where do you recommend that the conference be held (country or continent)?

After consultation with current and past mesenchymal conference organizers, we suggest North America, with Asia as an alternative. This would complement an EU mesenchymal meeting scheduled for 2024.

What industry perspectives will be included in the conference (if relevant)?

Biopharmaceutical investment in stromal cell R&D is at an all-time high, across diverse conditions including chronic inflammatory diseases, fibrosis and cancer. For example, TGF-beta is central to fibroblast development and a major cancer target, with current evidence pointing to direct interference of stromal cells with immunotherapy success (including an ongoing phase III trial). Dr Viviana Cremasco (Novartis), Prof. Michael Brenner (prior collaboration with Roche and anti-stromaltherapeutics with Mestag) and A/Prof Anne Fletcher (roles with Phenomic AI) bring industry perspective on stromal targeting that aims to highlight ongoing translational efforts in a broad and balanced way.

Are you aware of similar conferences on this topic? If so, please list (including when and where if known) and comment on how this proposed conference could be differentiated (either in terms of scientific focus and/or timing).

There is an EU mesenchymal cell meeting planned for June 2024. The remit does not include endothelial cells. We have the full support of organizers, and are engaged in cross-consultation, which will ensure we create complementary programs with diverse speakers.