Immunotherapies of Brain Disorders: A Symposium

Thursday, April 11, 2024, Bakar Labs, UC Berkeley

Background

Genetics and gene expression studies have taught us that cells of the immune system play a major role in brain development and plasticity, as well as neurodegeneration.

The growing therapeutic value of cancer immunology inspires the belief that immunotherapies might help in the treatment of mental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism, as well as neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and FTD.

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Goals

Our immediate goal with this meeting is to promote successful innovation and entrepreneurship in brain disorder immunotherapy by assembling a local ecosystem that supports it.

The meeting will be a success if more immunologists and neurobiologists are attracted to neuroimmunology, if partnerships form, and if companies attract the funding and the talent needed to bring us the new diagnostics and therapies.

Audience

We are bringing together industry and academic scientists; potential funders; and companies, from startups to big pharma, committed to the field.

Venue

All sessions will be held in the auditorium at Bakar Labs, located at 2625 Durant Ave., Berkeley, CA 94720.

Sponsor

Agenda

8:00-8:30 AM Check-in and breakfast
8:30-8:45 AM Welcome address (Regis Kelly, QB3/Bakar Labs)
8:45-8:50 AM Session Overview
8:50-9:25 AM Anna Molofsky, UCSF (Keynote): Immune Development in Children; ECM; Microglia
9:25-9:45 AM Xianhua Piao, UCSF: Brain Disorders in Children
9:45-10:05 AM Kaoru Saijo, UC Berkeley: Infections and Brain Disorders
10:05-10:25 AM Panel Discussion 1
10:25-10:45 AM Coffee Break
10:45-10:50 AM Session Overview
10:50-11:10 AM Jesse Hanson, Genentech: Complement-Based Therapies
11:10-11:30 AM Kathryn Monroe, Denali Therapeutics: Blood-Brain Barrier Transport of Antibodies to Improve Microglial Function
11:30-11:50 AM Andrew Yang, UCSF: Blood-Brain Barrier Functions
11:50-12:10 PM Panel Discussion 2
12:10-12:50 PM Lunch
12:50-12:55 PM Session Overview
12:55-1:15 PM Katerina Akassoglou, Gladstone Institutes, UCSF: Blood Drivers of Neurodegeneration: Fibrin Therapeutics
1:15-1:35 PM Michael Wilson, UCSF: Autoantibodies as Diagnostics
1:35-1:55 PM Anil Bhushan, UCSF: Cancer, Rewriting Stromal-Immune Circuits
1:55-2:15 PM Panel Discussion 3
2:15-2:35 PM Break
2:35-2:40 PM Session Overview
2:40-2:55 PM Gajus Worthington, Superfluid Dx: Cell-Free mRNA Diagnostics for AD
2:55-3:10 PM Russ Lebovitz, Amprion: Prions in CSF
3:10-3:25 PM Meriel Owens, ADDF
3:25-3:40 PM Joy Zuchero, Denali Therapeutics: Transport Vehicle Enabled Delivery of Antibodies to the Central Nervous System
3:40-3:55 PM David Schaffer, UC Berkeley, QB3, BBH: Genetic Modification
3:55-4:15 PM Panel Discussion 4
4:15-4:30 PM Break
4:30-5:00 PM Corey Goodman, VenBio
Jon-Eric Van Leeuwen, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences
Beck Brachman, Convergent Research
Rosa Canet-Avilés, CIRM
Rebecca Roof, NIH
5:00-6:00 PM Networking Reception

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Organizers

This symposium is directed by Regis Kelly, formerly QB3 Executive Director and currently Director of Public Outreach at Bakar Labs, working with Katarina Klett, QB3 Innovation Discovery Program Manager, and the QB3 events and programs team.

If you have any questions about this event, please email Katarina.