Events for the 2nd week of April
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Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Thu, Apr 11, 2024 @ 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Michel Sadelain, MD, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Cell Engineering at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Talk Title: CD 19 CAR T cells: A paradigm for the living Drug Concept
Abstract: Natural immune responses fall short of eradicating tumors in most cancer patients. The genetic engineering of T cells offers a means to repurpose immune cells to remedy these limitations. The first successful embodiment of engineered immunity is chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy targeting CD19. CARs are synthetic receptors that redirect and reprogram T cells to engage and eliminate cancer cells. CARs that target CD19, a cell surface molecule found in most leukemias and lymphomas, have produced remarkable responses in patients with refractory B cell malignancies. Four CD19 CAR therapies are currently approved by the US FDA. Over 1000 CAR therapy trials are currently listed on the clinicaltrials.gov website. Despite high complete remission rates obtained following a single CAR T cell infusion in patients with relapsed hematological malignancies, a number of patients will eventually relapse, pointing to the need to further improve CAR design and T cell engineering strategies to increase the antigen sensitivity and functional persistence of CAR T cells. Recent studies on the antigen sensitivity of CAR T cells have yielded valuable insights into the antigen density requirements and the role of scFv affinity and costimulatory structures incorporated into CARs to enhance tumor recognition and limit antigen escape. A novel family of CARs, termed HIT receptors, provides greater sensitivity, allowing to target tumors that escape conventional CARs. Logic-gated CAR T cells offer the prospect of more selective tumor targeting, exemplified by IF-BETTER gating. Novel CAR designs, such as 1XX, aim to reconcile the effector potency of CD28-based CARs with the greater T cell persistence afforded by 4-1BB based CARs. Genome editing is emerging as a valuable tool to transcriptionally control CAR expression, remodel the T cell receptor (TCR) and enable epigenetic programming to extend the functional persistence of immune effector cells. CAR T cells thus embody a novel paradigm for immunotherapy, providing “living drugs” for patients who fail to generate effective tumor immunity through active immunization or checkpoint blockade. The success of CD19 CAR therapy in cancer further provides a foundation for evaluating CAR T cells in other pathologies such as senescence-associated disorders and autoimmunity.
Biography: Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD, is the Director of the Center for Cell Engineering and the incumbent of the Stephen and Barbara Friedman Chair at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Sadelain’s research focuses on human cell engineering and cell therapy to treat cancer and hereditary blood disorders. His laboratory has made several seminal contributions to the field of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), from design to clinical translation. His group was the first to publish dramatic molecular remissions in patients with chemorefractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia following treatment with CD19 CAR T cells.
Host: Peter Wang, Dr. Lerman, Dr. C. Meltzer
More Info: https://usc.zoom.us/j/91924460032
Location: Harlyne J. Norris Research Tower (NRT) - Aresty Auditprium HSC
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Carla Stanard
Event Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/91924460032
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Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Fri, Apr 12, 2024 @ 11:00 AM - 11:50 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Tim Swager, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, MIT
Talk Title: Optical and Electronic Biosensors from Chemistry on Dynamic Colloids
Abstract: This lecture will focus on the design of systems that make use of colloidal materials to create sensors. In one theme, we make use of the reconfiguration of complex liquid emulsions (droplets) and related materials can be triggered chemically, biochemically, or with magnetic fields. Complex liquid droplets behave as optical lens systems and small changes in surface tensions can change focal lengths or cause systems to switch between optically transmissive or scattering states. Central to this scheme is that the fluids in the droplets have different densities and hence are aligned by the earth’s gravity. The induced optical changes can be triggered with chemical, photochemical, or biochemical stimuli and thereby create new generations of sensors. Demonstrations of these methods for the detection of enzyme concentrations, pathogens, and antibodies will be presented. In other efforts, we have used complex colloids to create functionalized versions of polymers that would ordinarily be insoluble and impossible to uniformly functionalize and create high quality nanocomposites. Thiol-Michael reactions were found to be highly efficient on different forms of poly(aniline) and poly(pyrrole). Functionalized poly(pyrrole)s can be deposited on porous cellulosic materials and we have used bioconjugated variants to create new generations of electronic lateral flow assays that are intrinsically quantitative and highly sensitive. These assays can be smart phone readable and promise to greatly expand the utility of this class of biosensors.
Biography: Timothy M. Swager is the John D. MacArthur Professor of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A native of Montana, he received a BS from Montana State University in 1983 and a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in 1988. After a postdoctoral appointment at MIT he joined University of Pennsylvania 1990-1996 and returned to MIT in 1996 as a Professor of Chemistry and served as the Head of Chemistry from 2005-2010. He has published more than 550 peer-reviewed papers and more than 120 issued/pending patents. Swager’s honors include: Election to the National Academy of Sciences, an Honorary Doctorate from Montana State University, National Academy of Inventors Fellow, The Pauling Medal, The Lemelson-MIT Award for Invention and Innovation, and Election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His research interests are in design, synthesis, and study of organic-based electronic, sensory, energy storage, membranes, liquid crystals, and colloids. He has founded five companies (DyNuPol, Iptyx, PolyJoule, C¬2 Sense and Xibus Systems).
Host: Maral Mousavi
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 100 B
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Carla Stanard