Agenda

IMMUNOTHERAPY

Recognizing the growing wave of progress using cancer immunotherapy, the first day of the congress will kick start by unveiling the latest development in immunotherapies namely: CAR T Cell Therapy, Cytokines, Monoclonal Antibodies and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Subsequent sessions will then showcase astonishing results using immunotherapies in the treatment of Melanoma, Lung Cancer as well as Head and Neck Cancer. Through these presentations, delegates will be able to glean the latest breakthrough in cancer care and how this relatively new but promising field can further activate a patient’s immune system against tumor growth.

• T cells and NK cells are powerful cytotoxic immune cells that protect against infections and cancer
  
• Their dysfunction results in hyper-inflammatory conditions
• Partial loss of function of NK and T cells leads to cancer in humans

A/Prof Voskoboinik completed his Ph.D. in Toxicology at the RMIT-University (Melbourne), and then did post doctoral training at the Department of Environmental Medicine (Karolinska Institute, Stockholm), followed by the Department of Genetics (The University of Melbourne), where he was studying congenital disorders of copper metabolism. In 2003, he relocated to Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, where he is now a Group Leader of Killer Cell Biology Laboratory within Cancer Immunology Research Program. His main interests are the regulation of cytotoxic lymphocyte function, primary immunodeficiencies and predisposition to cancer. He has published over 70 papers in major journals, including Nature, Nature Nanotechnology, Immunity, Journal of Experimental Medicine and Blood.

• Challenges of CAR T cell therapy in solid cancers
• Targeting local immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment
• Clinical outcomes in haematological and solid tumors

Dr. Paul Beavis is a senior post-doctoral researcher at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Melbourne, Australia) in the Cancer Immunotherapy group led by Assoc. Prof. Darcy. He completed his PhD in 2010 studying the role of regulatory T cells in inflammatory diseases in the laboratory of Prof. Fionula Brennan and Sir Marc Feldmann (Imperial College London). This gave him an understanding in immunology and immunotherapy which he now applies to Cancer Immunotherapy. His work at the Peter Mac is focused upon using novel strategies to overcome tumor-induced immunosuppression. Dr. Beavis’ work has highlighted the potential of targeting adenosine mediated immunosuppression to enhance anti-tumor immune responses. This has led to important publications in journals such as JCI, PNAS (x2), Trends in Immunology and Cancer Research (x2). His current work is focused upon the therapeutic targeting of adenosine, particularly the A_2A receptor in combination with other immunotherapies such as anti-PD-1 and CAR T cells to treat solid cancers. These combinations are now in phase I clinical trials, highlighting the translational potential of these approaches.

• How to increase the sensitivity of NK cells by finding synergistic pathways to activate NK cells through receptors or cytokines
• Study on the growth factor signaling pathway: IL-15 (Interleukin-15) cytokines
• How to make NK cells more resistant to the tumor micro-environment
• Human translation research project

Dr Huntington is a laboratory head in the Division of Molecular Immunology/Clinical Translation Centre at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI). Dr Huntington is a NHMRC fellow and 2016 Burnet Prize recipient. He is a leader in natural killer (NK) biology as evidenced by seminal publications in the highest-ranking immunology journals. Dr Huntington has dedicated his career to understanding the environmental and genetic factors that regulate the homeostasis of NK cells and their role in disease. He initiated this research theme during his PhD where he was awarded the high commendation for the Victorian Premier’s Award, the NHMRC/RG Menzies Award for leadership and the highly prestigious Human Frontiers Science Program Fellowship. Dr Huntington spent 5 years at the Institut Pasteur in Paris developing cutting-edge human xenograft models and returned in 2012 to establish his independent research group. Dr Huntington’s recent contributions include the discovery of multiple regulatory mechanisms of IL-15 signalling in NK cells including the first intracellular checkpoint in NK cell activation and tumour immunity. Dr Huntington leads a research program aimed at deciphering the regulatory networks that control NK cell development and homeostasis and screening for novel checkpoints in NK cell activation for targeting in cancer immunotherapy.

• IDO1 as a promising target for cancer therapy
• IDO1 inhibitors in clinical development
• Combination therapy of IDO1 inhibitors with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Professor Lai-Ming Ching studied at the University of Auckland for her BSc, MSc and PhD in Immunology After graduation she obtained a post-doctoral fellowship at the Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto; followed by a staff position at the University of Washington, Seattle. Upon her return to New Zealand, Lai-Ming joined the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, where she now leads a team researching new drugs that help the body’s immune system fight cancer. Lai-Ming’s research is focused on understanding the interactions between the immune system and cancer, as she believes that that will lead to the development of immunotherapies capable of providing patients with a long-term protection against the disease. Highlights from Lai-Ming’s sustained research in this area include the selection and entry of the STING agonist, DMXAA into human clinical trials; and the recent invention of novel IDO1-inhibitors for overcoming immune suppression for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.

• Anti PD1 and CTLA 4 have complementary effects in immunotherapy. Prior analyses have shown that the combination improves progression free survival
• Will the combination improve survival of patients with melanoma? (Tested in a 3 arm trial on 945 patients)
• Does PD-L1 expressiona ct as a biomarker for selection of patients for treatment with the combination?
• Latest data on efficacy of anti PD1 and Anti CTLA4 in treatment of brain metastases

Professor Peter Hersey has extensive experience in both clinical and laboratory based research on melanoma. This has been from positions as a staff specialist and as research director at the Newcastle melanoma unit and C/joint professor of Oncology in the University of Newcastle and from the inaugural chair of Melanoma Biology in the University of Sydney from 2011. His translational research activities have involved phase I-III trials of immunotherapy in melanoma, with modified peptide antigens and dendritic cell vaccines. He has taken a leading role in studies on properties of melanoma cells that make them resistant to treatment and new treatment approaches to overcome these properties. He is generally recognized as a pioneer of immunotherapy for melanoma in Australia and in focusing on properties of melanoma cells that make them resistant to apoptosis. He has participated in most of the key clinical trials on immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors. He is a member of the Melanoma Research Institute of Australia and has received continuous funding from the NHMRC for his research. He is a joint holder of a prestigious NHMRC program grant since 2005 which has been renewed for a third 5 year period. Current interest centers on the role of epigenetic regulators in progression and treatment of melanoma.

• From recurring gene mutations to novel therapeutic strategies for the improved treatment of leukemia (AML and Paediatric ALL) 
• Phosphoproteomic profiling of signalling pathways
• Oxidative Stress and DNA Repair as targets Novel Targets for Patients with recurring mutations

Dr Dun is a midcareer cancer researcher from the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) at the University of Newcastle, supported by a Cancer Institute NSW Early Career Fellowship (2017-2019). Dr Dun has previously been supported by two additional Cancer Institute NSW Fellowships, which have enabled him to establish a research group that couples quantitative discovery and targeted proteomics with cell and molecular biology. This research paradigm aims to identify new and improved drug targets and treatment strategies for leukaemia. Dr Dun has extensive international postdoctoral training, completing posting to the laboratories of leading scientists including; Prof Martin Larsen at the University of Southern Denmark in Denmark and worked with Prof Jan Cools at the VIB Center for Cancer Biology, University of Leuven in Belgium. He has also completed the EMBO Advanced Targeted Proteomics Course in Spain. These experiences were driving factors in his successful application to establish a high-resolution mass spectrometry platform in 2015. Over the last 5 years, he has published >20 research articles in leading international journals including; Leukemia, Molecular & Cell Proteomics, Oncotarget, Nucleic Acids Research, Journal of Biological Chemistry and Journal of Cell Science. He has received >$2.9 million in research funding and 18 national and international research awards. Dr Dun is a Director of the Priority Research Centre for Cancer Research, Innovation and Translation at the University of Newcastle and HMRI, and a Director of the Australian Society for Medical Research.

Precision Medicine in Oncology has been a popular topic of discussion in the healthcare field since former US President Barack Obama announced the Precision Medicine Initiative in 2015. Precision Medicine is an approach to patient care that allows doctors to select treatments that are most likely to help patients based on a genetic characterization of their cancer.

The sessions below will look at where the current Precision Medicine stands and how it will go in the future. Presentations on precision medicine will also center around how technology can weave into this growing sector and potentially improve clinical trials and research designs. With these discussions, delegates will be able to learn of the current outlook of Precision Medicine and understand the common challenges in expanding precision medicine as a progressive method in areas like identifying biomarkers and ctDNA using liquid biopsy, a major focus in Precision Medicine.

• The potentials and applications of precision medicine in targeted cancer treatment
• Challenges in Future Precision Medicine and possible implications in medical application

• Current and Future Direction of Precision Medicine in Oncology
• Challenges in translating technology from research into clinic and how to overcome them
• Impacts of genomics on precision healthcare

Marcel Dinger is the Founding CEO of Genome.One, Head of the Kinghorn Centre for Clinical Genomics (KCCG) at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and conjoint Associate Professor at UNSW Australia. Genome.One is a world-class clinical genomics service and develops specialist software and analytics solutions to enable precision healthcare worldwide. Genome.One was one of the first companies in the world to implement the HiSeq X Ten genome sequencing platform, which has capacity to sequence 18,000 human genomes per year, and provide a clinical whole genome sequencing. He has worked in bioinformatics and genomics since 1998 in both commercial and academic capacities. He was awarded his PhD in 2003 from the University of Waikato in New Zealand, has published >80 papers attracting more than 10,000 citations, and is recipient of several highly competitive awards and fellowships. He is also a founder of two other successful start-up companies. In 2016, Marcel was admitted as a Fellow into the Faculty of Sciences of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australiasia and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

The range of targeted therapies has increased exponentially over the last 10 years in cancer care and continues to be the focus of much anti-cancer drug development. Targeted cancer therapies are drugs or other substances that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules involved in cancer cell growth and survival.

With targeted therapies sometimes being referred to as the product of “rational” drug design, the following sessions will explore the various novel therapeutic modalities in treating cancers with smarter clinical “drug cocktails”. Delegates will be able to gain insights on how current findings in translational research can pave the way for newer clinical testing.

• AML is a heterogenous disease with poor prognosis and novel treatment strategies are urgently required. Epigenetic regulators are frequently mutated in AML and are attractive targets for therapy.
• We are using advanced genetic tools and in vivo mouse models to understand the role of specific genes in leukaemia initiation, maintenance and progression
• Data will be presented on targeted therapies that are designed for AML patients that carry mutations in the epigenetic regulators IDH1/2 and DNMT3A

Dr Lev Kats, BSc(Hons), LLB, PhD is a Victorian Cancer Agency Mid-Career Fellow and heads the Targeted Therapeutics Laboratory within the Translational Haematology Program at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. He completed his PhD at Monash University and postdoctoral training at Beth Israel Deaconess Centre/Harvard Medical School. Dr Kats is an expert in pre-clinical mouse models of cancer and epigenetic regulation of haematopoiesis and leukaemia. Over the past five years he has led pioneering work on targeting IDH mutations that has contributed to the clinical development of novel inhibitors for AML.

• Inhibition of RNA Polymerase I using CX-5461 is a novel targeted therapy in ovarian cancer
• CX-5461 shows therapeutic efficacy in combination with chemotherapy and PARP inhibitors in ovarian cancer cell lines and patient-derived cells
• A phase II clinical trial in ovarian cancer is planned for 2018 at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

After completing her Ph.D. at Monash University in 2003, Elaine was awarded a Cancer Research UK Postdoctoral Fellowship at the London Research Institute, London. In 2006, She joined Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre as a Senior Research Scientist in the Oncogenic Signalling and Growth Control Program.

Elaine has achieved international recognition for her contributions to the realization that dysregulated RNA Polymerase I transcription and ribosome biogenesis is a hallmark of cancer that can be therapeutically targeted. Her studies led to the development of the first-in-class Pol I inhibitor CX-5461 as an anti-tumor agent that is currently in 2 international phase I/II clinical trials in patients with haematological malignancies (Peter Mac) and breast cancer (Canadian Cancer Trials Group). Her current studies demonstrate therapeutic benefit for CX-5461 against high-grade serous ovarian cancer. A phase II clinical trial in ovarian cancer is planned for 2018 at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

TARGETED ANTI-CANCER THERAPY & DRUG DELIVERY (II)

Day two of the congress will feature contemporary approaches in targeted anti-cancer therapies augmented by technologies such as nanotechnology and soft robotics. Also, the subsequent sessions will highlight novel development in the various types of targeted therapies such as signal transduction therapies, angiogenesis, apoptosis and hormone therapies.

Through these presentations, delegates will be able to examine and evaluate the effectiveness of a variety of targeted therapies, overcome the various drugs side effects as well as co-create solutions to lower recurrence rate while increasing remission and survival rate of cancer patients.

• The advantages and limitations of nanotheranostics in cancer management
• Understand how the dual functioning of nanomaterials as an efficient diagnostic and therapeutic agent can help in the development of personalized and highly efficacious oncology nanomedicines with minimal or toxicity
• Case Study: Explore the potential of nanotheranostics in current prostate cancer treatments

Dr. Prashant D. Sawant, PhD., MBA, is a Chief Scientist at Intraceuticals Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia. Some of his research interests include nanoscience and their biomedical applications such as vaccine delivery, ophthalmology, etc.; dermatology, prostate cancer, genechips, nutrition based therapies, and innovation management. He has worked for academic and multinational companies in four countries after his Ph.D. and travelled worldwide in the past 23 years.

Dr. Sawant has developed various types of nanoparticles and studied their biomedical applications including lung imaging during his Ph.D. (1996) and did six years of post-doctoral research in nanoscience, biophysics and biomedical engineering from Universities in Israel, Singapore and Australia. He has developed and taught nanoscience, biophysics and biomedical technologies courses and mentored research students and scientists at Universities in Australia and Singapore.

Dr. Sawant’s recent work includes nanotheranostics and their applications for cancer management. To date, Dr. Sawant has authored 17 patent applications, three book chapters, four review articles and 31 research articles in reputed scientific journals, and five peer-reviewed conference articles. Additionally, he has received grants worth +$2 Mil in India, Israel, Singapore and Australia for research projects and infrastructure development. He was also involved in the product development for Stiefel, GSK, Pfizer, Unilever, and ICI, and developed more than 100 products worth $200Mil. Finally, Dr. Sawant has been awarded by his employers for scientific and business innovations, leadership and for problem solving.

• Explore the potential for robotic drug delivery system in cancer care
• Address the barriers in carrying out targeted drug delivery with soft robotics

• Review the current development of Nanoknife: the targeted, non-thermal, focal ablation therapy used for inoperable tumors
• Case Study: Findings derived from Phase I Clinical Trials with Nanoknife in Prostate Cancer, Safety study in Liver Cancer, Renal and Lung Cancer  and clinical experience and review of recent literature in Pancreatic Cancer
• What is the future of Nanoknife: wider application in other types of cancer?
• Explore the possibility of combination therapies in cancer management: Nanoknife + immunotherapy + chemotherapy + surgical therapy + radiotherapy

Dr Helen Kavnoudias has headed the Radiology Research Unit at the Alfred Hospital since 2002 and has contributed to numerous internal and commercially sponsored clinical trials.  Her work has covered a broad range of diseases including vascular disease, uterine fibroids and focal tumour ablation with irreversible electroporation (IRE).  She was an author on the first human study of irreversible electroporation for the treatment of focal tumours in the liver, kidney and lung.  She currently has an NHMRC grant for a Phase 1 trial of IRE for prostate cancer. She began her medical research career in cellular biology investigating differentiation induction of myeloid leukaemias in murine models at the University of St Andrew in Scotland followed by work on the cellular proliferation of megakaryocytes at the University of Melbourne.

•  Fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) as a promising target for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy
• Pan-FGFR and FGFR-4 specific inhibitors in clinical development
• Combination therapy of FGFR inhibitors with chemotherapy

• Restraining cancer growth with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Inhibitor (Case Study)
• Restraining cancer growth with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Inhibitor (Case Study)

• An antibody can specifically bind the pro-apoptotic effector Bak at mitochondria to trigger intrinsic apoptosis
• Antibody is not sequestered by pro-survival Bcl-2 proteins so may bypass certain forms of resistance
• Antibody derivatives are being engineered for targeting and delivery into cancer cells

Dr Kluck is a cell biologist and laboratory head at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. She has studied apoptotic cell death since her PhD at the Queensland Institute for Medical Research. As a postdoc at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology (1995-2002), she made the seminal discovery that Bcl-2 inhibits apoptosis by blocking mitochondrial release of cytochrome c. In 2002, she moved to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute where she has focused on the regulation and function of the pore-forming proteins Bak and Bax. She discovered that to initiate apoptosis, Bak and Bax first form novel symmetric dimers via the BH3 domain binding to the hydrophobic groove of another Bak or Bax molecule. These dimers then generate apoptotic pores by forming disordered clusters in the mitochondrial membrane. Her group recently discovered that a specific antibody to Bak could trigger its activation and pore formation, and is exploring means of specifically directing the antibody into cancer cells.

• A look at synthetic and nature forms of hormone treatment
• Revising the study on the effects of adding testosterone pellets into women through hormone replacement therapy
• Determining the best treatment: hormone therapies, prostatectomy, mastectomy

• Discover the latest development in tumor vaccines through a deep review on peptide molecules
• Explore the usage of vaccine in neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy
• How does the combination of computer-aided drug discovery and cutting edge screening technologies aid in the development of tumor vaccinology
  

As cancer is a genetic disease, the genes we inherit affect our chances of developing cancer. The study of cancer genomes has proven to be an in-demand aspect in cancer management, capable of identifying abnormalities in genes that drive the development and growth of many types of cancer. This knowledge has proven to be imperative in understanding the biology of cancer which often led to new methods of diagnosing and treating cancer.

The following sessions start off with an understanding on cancer gene mutations and its signaling pathways, complemented by a demonstration on the potential usage of CRISPR and Stem Cell therapy in current and future cancer treatment. These sessions will further empower delegates in exploring the frontier in cancer diagnosis and treatment through revolutionary applications.

• Discover the potential of gene-editing technology (CRISPR-Cas-9) in the battle against cancer
• Explore the usage of CRISPR as a gene screening tool to identify novel drug targets for cancer therapy
• Discuss the associated risk of using CRISPR in decoding genome and developing cancer resistant human genome

• Case Study: A Tissue Engineered Humanized Bone to Study Cancer Metastasis In Vivo
• We could develop a morphologically and functionally intact human bone organ which contained human extracellular matrix components. The bone organ was further humanized through the injection of human cord blood derived haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) which populated in the mouse BM and hTE-BM niche and stimulated human haematopoiesis within the murine host in a time- and dose-dependent manner.
• Of interest, metastatic cancer cells injection resulted in the formation of a primary tumor and spontaneous metastasis to the hTE-BM.
• Less frequent metastasis and lower tumor burden were observed in mice with a humanized immune system, suggesting immune-mediated response against the cancer cells.
• Potential development of  new therapeutics against bone metastasis

Dr. Abbas Shafiee is a PhD specialized in stem cell biology, and tissue engineering. Dr. Shafiee is a post-doctoral researcher at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT, Brisbane, Australia) in the Centre for Regenerative Medicine led by Professor Dietmar W. Hutmacher.

Dr. Shafiee completed his PhD at The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR). His PhD study focused on the in vivo definition of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) from the human term placenta tissues. As a result of this project, he established a new in vivo hierarchy amongst EPCs. Then he moved to QUT to undertake his postdoctoral research by Professor Hutmacher, where they have developed a new cutting edge research area, namely “humanized animal models” via the translation of tissue engineering technologies into cancer research.

The following sessions equip delegates with skills to provide palliative care and other means of supportive care to help ease discomfort of cancer patients. In addition, the session also explore a recently developed new model of cancer care named oncofertility, specifically addressing the reproductive future of cancer survivors.

• The use of complementary therapies in combination with conventional medicine
• How to support a cancer patient and further stimulate their immune system

• The role of estrogens and toxicants in cancer proliferation
• Unpacking specific markers in Functional pathology and genetics revealing the impact of toxicants, endocrine disruptors and hormone metabolism in patients diagnosed with cancer
• How to read, interpret and treat a patient
• Nutrient therapies tailored to specific lab results and advances in the latest nutrient based targeted therapies
• Avenues of further investigation in cancer and how it can affect other organ systems

Vanita Dahia is an integrative medicine clinical consultant pharmacist, naturopath and clinical nutritionist.

Functional pathology clinical consultant and Health Services manager providing in-depth technical and clinical consultancy and expert technical training incorporating assessment, interpretation and prescriptive guidelines to doctors and allied health practitioners internationally. Vanita is a medical authority and extraordinary mentor to her peers and patients alike. As a presenter to her peers and community at large, she is engaging, articulate, humorous, and insightful, making learning a dynamic experience for professional and personal growth.

Board certified fellow in Anti-ageing and regenerative medicine providing clinical training programs and educational initiatives to Dr’s and allied health practitioners. She has more than 30 years expertise in compounding pharmacy, functional Pathology, herbal, Ayurveda and integrative medicine. Vanita received her training in anti-aging medicine through association and membership with the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M and A5M) and Professional compounding Centres of America and Australia (PCCA).

Vanita is an international speaker and a published author of Alchemy of the Mind, co-author of The Book of Inspiration for Women by Women and Healthy Body.

Providing integrated care to cancer survivors is becoming a global challenge for policymakers, employers and health care professionals as more and more people live with and beyond cancer. The need for care pathways that map treatment, rehabilitation and aftercare (survivorship plans) from start to finish is greatly warranted. Due to the terrifying power of cancer, the changing prognosis of a cancer patient put incredible stress on family and carers. At one time, they can be prepared for a family member to die and another, it turns out the family member survives. Even though standard of cancer care is very high in Australia with detailed cancer plans that encompass the whole journey from diagnosis through treatment and supportive care to survivorship management and palliative care, there is still a significant gap in the level of support to cancer survivors. Therefore, this workshop is designed to help you to

• Establish seamless care pathways that map treatment, rehabilitation and after care for cancer survivors
• Break down silos in improving the integration and continuity of care for cancer patients
• Manage emotions, stress, anger, anxiety and depression of cancer patients and their carers
• Provide psychological strategies in managing cancer survivors

• Engage in meaningful conversations about life, sickness and death
• Encourage patients to discuss dying wishes