(SC1) Humanized Mouse Models: Technology and Applications in Preclinical Assessment of Cancer Immunotherapy

Humanized mouse models have been developed as immunologically relevant models for preclinical profiling of cancer immunotherapies. The course will describe different types of humanized mouse models, their immune characterization, and specific examples of their application in the field of Cancer Immunotherapy. The course will highlight advantages and pitfalls of currently available humanized mouse models and will give an overview of the next generation improved humanized models designed to better address specific immunological questions.

Agenda:

• How to select the best humanized mouse model for specific immunotherapeutic applications
• Immunopharmacodynamic analyses in humanized mice: Impact of immunotherapeutic treatments on the immune cell contexture
• Humanized mouse models: In-house generation or outsourcing?

Instructors:

Sara Colombetti, Ph.D., Group Leader Immunopharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacology Department, Roche Innovation Center Zürich

In 2004 I have obtained the Ph.D. degree in Molecular and Cellular biology at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan (Italy) focusing on the characterization of the molecular mechanisms of T cell proliferation and differentiation. I then spent the next 5 years developing cancer CD8 T cell vaccines based on lentiviral vectors and VLP technologies at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (Lausanne Branch, Switzerland) and at Cytos Biotechnology (Schlieren, Switzerland), respectively. In 2007 I received the young investigator award of the Charles Brupbacher foundation for Cancer Research. From 2009 until 2014 I have been leading the In Vivo Models Group at the Roche Innovation Center Zürich (Switzerland), a Roche Oncology site devoted to the development of next generation cancer immunotherapeutics. The activity of my Group focused on the development and immune characterization of translationally relevant preclinical mouse tumor models (syngeneic, spontaneous and humanized models) for in vivo profiling of cancer immuno-therapies.

From January 2015 I am leading the Immunopharmacology Group responsible for all in vivo immunopharmacodynamic analyses for anti-cancer immunotherapies at the Roche Innovation Center Zurich. The activity of my Group focuses on multi-parameter immune characterization of preclinical tumour models at baseline and upon treatment, to assess translational relevance of preclinical models and unravel mechanisms of action of anti-cancer immunotherapies in vivo.

Christian Gerdes, Ph.D., Head of Pharmacology, Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche