2024 - Spatial Biology in Action: Transforming the Future of Drug Discovery and Development

Discover a dynamic virtual event spotlighting the latest advancements in spatial biology and their impact on drug discovery and development.
This program brings together leading experts who will share insights on how these novel innovations are unraveling complex biological systems, optimizing therapeutic development and paving the way for precision medicine. During this program, the expert speakers will be focusing on the following topics:
Session 1: Advancing Spatial Biology Discoveries to The Clinic
In this session, Mark Landers from Akoya Biosciences will discuss how the PhenoCycler-Fusion for high-plex spatial discoveries and PhenoImager HT for rapid spatial signature development are advancing spatial biology from drug discovery to clinical applications. He will highlight how multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) biomarkers address tumor heterogeneity and enhance decision-making in immuno-oncology trials. Attendees will gain insights into mIF’s role in supporting precision medicine and companion diagnostics, offering transformative potential for clinical trial outcomes and patient care.
Session 2: Multiplex Immunohistochemistry Assay for Identification of Immune Cells in Non-Human Primate Ocular Tissues
In this session, Ronnie Nie from AbbVie will discuss the development and application of a multiplex immunostaining method to improve understanding of the causes and mechanisms of intraocular inflammation (IOI).
In non-clinical studies, administering biologics to the eyes of nonhuman primates can lead to sporadic IOI in individual animals, often with uncertain causes and clinical relevance. Identifying the causes and mechanisms of IOI throughout preclinical development has been a major challenge and is critical for advancing biologic therapies targeting ocular conditions.
The speaker will share insights into the development and validation of a multiplex immunostaining method using Akoya’s PhenoCode Signature multiplex assay to investigate the causes and mechanisms of IOI. The results demonstrate the assay’s ability to identify immune cell types and their spatial relationships, providing valuable insights into the immunology of IOI and helping to clarify its underlying mechanisms.
Session 3: Application of Multiplex Immunofluorescence Assays for Immuno-Oncology Drug Development and the Potential for Companion Diagnostics
In this session, Chung-Wein Lee from Genmab will discuss the growing importance of understanding the tumor microenvironment (TME) in immuno-oncology. He will highlight how multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) assays uniquely assess TME by preserving tumor structure and revealing spatial relationships between tumor and immune cells and will address the difficulties these assays face in lymphoma, where the lack of clear tumor-stromal boundaries and high tumor density present significant challenges.
In his presentation, Dr. Chung will describe the development and optimization of a reliable workflow using Akoya Opal staining kits to label and analyze 6 markers per slide in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) tissue sections and demonstrates the first attempt to calculate the combined positive score (CPS) using mIF images, a measure used to predict response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, traditionally scored manually by a Pathologist. Preliminary results from a clinical trial in recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (rHNSCC) show a strong correlation with pathologist-scored CPS, suggesting the potential to use mIF as a future companion diagnostic tool in oncology.
Session 4: Round Table Discussion
After the three sessions, there will be an engaging roundtable discussion, moderated by Cameron Smurthwaite from Akoya Biosciences, in which the expert speakers delve deeper into key insights from their presentations. Cameron will guide the conversation to explore emerging trends and discuss the evolving role of spatial biology in drug discovery and development.
Register for this webinar today to explore the latest advancements in spatial biology and its critical role in drug discovery, development and clinical applications.
Keywords: Drug Development, Biomarker, Drug Discovery, Immuno-Oncology, Clinical Research, Oncology, Companion Diagnostics, Oncology Trials, CDx, Clinical Development, Multiple Immunofluorescence