Dr. med. Sophia Stock
… is a medical researcher in the group of Prof. Marion Subklewe and a postdoctoral fellow in the group of Prof. Sebastian Kobold at the University Hospital of Munich (LMU).

Topic: Potential of adapter CAR T cells for an optimized Immunotherapy
CAR T cell therapy has achieved encouraging results for treating B and plasma cell diseases but faces challenges like therapy-associated toxicities, antigen heterogeneity and antigen escape. Adapter CAR T cells aim to address these issues by using a CAR-adapter molecule which recognizes the tumor antigen. This indirect tumor binding allows better control of the CAR T cell activation and enables sequential, transient, or simultaneous targeting of multiple antigens. Therefore, adapter CAR T cells have the potential to overcome recent limitations of CAR T cell therapy and can further improve this promising treatment approach.

Dr. Ulf Grawunder
… is CEO and co-founder of IZB-based start-up T-CURX. T-CURX is focusing on the development and commercialization of next-generation CAR-T cell therapies for cancer indications with high medical needs. The proprietary CAR-T technologies involve a non-viral, transposon-based gene transfer of the CAR receptor into the patient’s autologous T cells. The non-viral production of CAR-T cells is a key unique selling point for a fast, cost-efficient, safe, and patient-centered manufacturing method, including the production of CAR-T cells directly at the patient’s bedside.

Topic: Transformative CAR-T Therapies and Promises of going “in vivo”