The 11th annual Immuno-Oncology 360° Summit took place in Boston this year, a first after being held in the New York City for the past eight years. A fitting move, as Boston continues to strengthen its position as a leading biotech hub. With a packed three day agenda, IO360 brought together experts from across the immuno-oncology space, with experts working in pre-clinical to clinical research, regulatory affairs, business development and finance.
The event highlighted the next wave of innovation in IO, from new emerging cancer immunotherapy data, as well as new tools that help accelerate therapeutic development. While IO remained the central focus, pipeline diversification was also discussed, reflecting how learnings from cancer immunotherapy development can be applied to autoimmunity therapeutics.
Highlights from the event:
Crystal Mackall winning the Lifetime Achievement award, and delivering the keynote talk ‘Evolution and Future Directions in Cell Therapy – Overcoming Challenges and Pioneering Innovations’.
William Ho – Cell therapy for Autoimmunity/Be Biopharma. While the main focus of the conference was IO, Dr Ho gave a good overview of how IO companies are diversifying their pipelines to I&I.
Craig C. Suvannavejh, PhD – The Biotech Markets and IO Outlook. Amidst all the science, this specific talk gave good insight into the current state of the biotech market, as well as future considerations.
Key takeaways:
- Many experts voiced concern for the industry, citing widespread layoffs at CDC, NIH and FDA, and raising questions about how the reduced capacity at these agencies impact new drugs getting approved and to the patients.
- At the same time, many noted a rise in investment for companies developing immuno-oncology, expressing optimism for the future. The unmet medical need remains high – not only in cancer, but also across autoimmune and other complex disease. Significant advances are being made, from discovery of novel targets and MoAs, to innovative therapeutics, and technologies that accelerate drug development timelines – all of which contribute to more investor interest and momentum in the field.
- With IO being the topic, one area where all agreed was that combination strategies are the future. With efficacy of monotherapies being a concern, the combinational approach will hopefully be key.
IO360 was a productive, insightful and energising experience. It provided us the perfect opportunity to see where the field is heading and see the transition between early stage research and clinical execution.
A huge thank you to The Conference Forum and IO360 for organising an insightful and well-run event. We look forward to attending again next year.
Neutrophils are the most abundant immune cell in human blood with around 1011 new cells synthesised in the bone marrow each day. These cells are short-lived, packed with anti-microbial proteins and are first responders upon inflammatory insult. Upon activation, neutrophils utilise effector functions to destroy pathogens.
Neutrophils release anti-microbial proteins held in granules in a process called degranulation and can phagocytose pathogens in as little as 20 seconds. They can also mount a large oxidative burst via the NADPH oxidase (NOX2) complex, releasing reactive oxygen species to kill extracellular pathogens, and also those that have been phagocytosed. The final weapon in the neutrophil arsenal is release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) – web-like structures comprised of chromatin and antimicrobial proteins, released via a unique form of cell death called NETosis. These trap pathogens to prevent dissemination and expose them to high concentrations of antimicrobial proteins. Despite neutrophils being essential for host defence, dysregulated neutrophil responses can damage the host and drive inflammatory diseases, meaning targeting neutrophils could be of therapeutic benefit.
Neutrophils have been implicated in cancer progression and metastasis. For example, NETs have been shown to sequester circulating tumour cells and awaken dormant cancer cells, leading to metastases formation. Neutrophils can promote the premetastatic niche and neutrophil-deficient mice show reduced metastasis. They also drive Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) where NETs are a source of autoantigens and lead to vascular damage. SLE neutrophils also produce large amounts of type I interferons. Neutrophils have also been shown to play a detrimental role in atherosclerosis, where NETs aid in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and prime macrophages to release pro-inflammatory cytokines. Overall, the role of neutrophils in disease is becoming increasingly understood and targeting these cells with therapeutics at the site of inflammation could benefit patients in many inflammatory diseases.
Burn, G. L., Foti, A., Marsman, G., Patel, D. F., & Zychlinsky, A. (2021). The Neutrophil. Immunity, 54(7), 1377–1391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2021.06.006
Papayannopoulos V. (2018). Neutrophil extracellular traps in immunity and disease. Nature reviews. Immunology, 18(2), 134–147. https://doi.org/10.1038/nri.2017.105 Coffelt, S. B., Wellenstein, M. D., & de Visser, K. E. (2016). Neutrophils in cancer: neutral no more. Nature reviews. Cancer, 16(7), 431–446. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc.2016.52
Written by Will Gibbs
At Nexus BioQuest, we deliver high-standard studies designed to support regulatory submissions like INDs and similar filings. We know that success in these complex studies depends on precise planning and structured documentation. That’s why our scientific teams develop detailed scientific study plans—each one a roadmap with clear milestones that keep our team and clients aligned from start to finish.
At Nexus BioQuest, quality is at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we rely on an electronic notebook system to ensure accurate, real-time record-keeping for our IND-supporting studies. This system captures every step of our experimental workflow, creating a complete and traceable record that reflects our commitment to data integrity. The team’s dedication to quality is maintained throughout the study; finishing with high-standard reports that present data clearly and accurately, ready to support a range of regulatory submissions.
While we don’t operate under GLP, our internal quality standards are upheld by an RQA-certified QA team, with audits performed at key milestones. By taking a proactive approach we ensure our data is reliable, compliant, and ready to meet regulatory standards. When you work with us, you’re partnering with a team committed to delivering research that’s dependable, trustworthy, and built to drive progress.
Written by Danielle Clark
Integrity is one of our four core values at Nexus BioQuest. It drives our commitment to delivering accurate and fully traceable data that our clients can trust. Every process we follow—from study design to data reporting—adheres to ethical and scientific standards to ensure that our results are robust and reproducible. For us, integrity isn’t just about what we deliver; it’s about how we do it.
Integrity also extends to our relationships. We believe in open, consistent communication and see ourselves as true partners in every study. From study kick-off to final reports, we keep our clients informed at every stage, making sure they feel confident in both the process and the outcomes and allows us to build strong, lasting partnerships. This collaborative approach enables our clients to have confidence in the study process, knowing they are supported by a team of scientists striving to producing quality results.
Beyond client relationships, integrity also means continuous improvement to the service we provide. Our teams regularly review our methods and processes, pushing ourselves to uphold the high scientific standards our clients expect. By holding ourselves accountable, we provide research that our clients can rely on time after time.