
April 14-19, 2023, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida
Stop by and say hello at Booth 1221!
Exhibit Hall Hours
Sunday, April 16 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Monday, April 17 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 18 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 19 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
I. Exhibitor Spotlight Theater
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Integrated Molecular Analysis Approaches to Uncover Clinically Actionable Gene Targets and Molecular Markers
Monday, April 17, 2023 - 3:00 - 4:00 pm Exhibitor Spotlight Theater A
Refreshments will be served.
Introductory Remarks: Paul Diehl, PhD, COO, Cellecta
Mutation analysis, expression profiling, and genetic screening have been instrumental in understanding cancer biology and tumorigenesis. However, it is often difficult to transition results from these molecular studies to the clinic. This session will present examples showing how expression profiling combined with TCR/BCR clonotype analysis, and in vivo CRISPR mutagenic screening using barcoded libraries guide libraries are able to uncover genetic targets with clinical and therapeutic relevance.
Speaker 1: Gus Frangou, PhD, Assistant Professor of Oncology and a Member of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY.
Talk: An integrated multi-omics approach to identify molecular regulatory mechanisms in breast cancer development and progression
Large-scale cancer genome sequencing studies have generated an extensive catalog of genes altered in breast cancer (BRCA). While it is generally accepted that highly recurrent somatic alterations signify changes important for carcinogenesis, it remains a significant challenge to distinguish between clinically actionable versus passenger mutations that are incidental to the acquired tumor phenotypes. Further complicating their discovery are the multifaceted mechanisms by which they are activated or inactivated. For example, tumor suppressor genes are frequently inactivated by post-transcriptional silencing (e.g., microRNA suppression) or post-translational modifications rather than mutations. However, these events are not routinely identified by tumor DNA sequencing and computational methods, creating a demand for advanced experimental models that can recapitulate the complexity and heterogeneity observed in BRCA patients.
We used a comparative oncogenomics approach to address these challenges, integrating clinical data and in vivo CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis screens with single-cell barcoding. This strategy allowed us to (1) systematically detect genes and pathways that suppress the malignant transformation of mammary epithelial cells and (2) monitor the size and frequency of tumor subclones associated with specific genotype-dependent perturbations. Through a series of mouse models and a systems genetics approach, we have uncovered a novel tumor suppressor network that governs the proliferation and transformation of mammary epithelial cells. Data will be presented to demonstrate that CRISPR-based screens in mice complement and extend genome sequencing efforts to identify BRCA-related driver genes of potential clinical and therapeutic relevance.
Speaker 2: Alex Chenchik, PhD, President & Chief Scientific Officer, Cellecta
Talk: Adaptive Immune Receptor Profiling for Biomarker Discovery
T-cell receptor (TCR) and B-cell receptor (BCR) repertoire profiling holds great potential for understanding disease mechanisms. We introduce a novel technology for profiling of all human TCR and BCR variable regions together with phenotypic characterization of immune cells in bulk in PBMCs and immune cell fractions. Preliminary data shows that TCR/BCR clonotype analysis combined with targeted expression profiling of immune cells can be applied for large-scale discovery in several immune-responsive model systems. We will present data from cancer and rheumatoid arthritis samples.
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This Exhibitor Spotlight Theater is a promotional activity and is not approved for continuing education credit. The content of this Exhibitor Spotlight Theater and opinions expressed by presenters are those of the sponsor or presenter and are not of the American Association for Cancer Research® (AACR).
II. Poster Presentation
Title: Improved T-cell and B-cell receptor repertoire profiling and immunophenotyping for biomarker discovery
Presenter: Alex Chenchik, PhD, President, Cellecta
Date: April 18, 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Location: Poster section 34
Poster board number: 5