Part I: Building an organoid platform to study cytokine signaling in colon cancer | The ability to generate precision cancer models by CRISPR editing organoids enables unprecedentedly high-fidelity in vitro models of solid tumors. This tissue level fidelity is especially important in the context of cancers of epithelial origin where traditional 2D cell line models fail to recapitulate the tissue architecture, transcriptional signatures and functional behaviors of epithelial cells. In the context of developing immunotherapies for the treatment of solid tumors, organoid-based syngeneic preclinical models will provide a valuable testing platform in immunocompetent animals. | Jonathan Braverman, Ph.D., Principal Investigator Innovative Genomics Institute The Braverman lab at the Innovative Genomics Institute at UC Berkeley is focused on developing precision organoid models for colon cancer research. Directions in the lab include identifying synthetic vulnerabilities in colon cancer, using organoid models to understand the downstream responses of cytokine signaling in tumor epithelium, and developing organoid co-culture models to study the tumor microenvironment and test novel therapeutic approaches. Additionally, we collaborate with researchers at The Gladstone Institutes to build in vivo testing platforms for immunotherapies targeting solid tumors. | Monday, April 8 at 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. San Diego Convention Center, 111 Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101 Spotlight Theater C - Sails Pavilion |
Part II: Using patient-derived organoids to intercept pancreatic disease | Patient-derived organoids have revolutionized precision medicine approaches for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. We demonstrate that these models are predictive of patient response. This predictive power is robust and remains consistent across passage, different sources and lots of basement membrane extract. | Dannielle Engle, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Helen McLoraine Developmental Chair, Salk Institute Dr. Engle was a member of the team that developed pancreatic organoid technology and demonstrated its clinical utility while a trainee in the laboratory of Dr. David Tuveson at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Since then, she has continued her work in pancreatic cancer as an Assistant Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Dr. Engle is a recipient of an NCI Career Transition Award, the Prebys Foundation Excellence in Scientific Research Leadership Program award, and the AACR & Lustgarten Foundation Career Development Award in honor of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. |
Innovations for attaining consistent and reproducible results in 3D assays | Over the past decade, 3D cell culture has become an established method for various applications, but researchers continue to find new areas of implementation as well as improve existing methods. Innovations in technology combined with regulatory updates will allow this field to continue expanding at a rapid rate. Regulators in the United States have recently relaxed a guideline requiring animal testing, which places 3D cell culture in the spotlight for its greater biological relevance than 2D culture as well as its broad applicability. With more researchers adopting 3D methods, it will be vital for technology providers to offer innovative tools to make processes more high-throughput and standardized. In this talk, Austin Mogen, Ph.D., Field Application Scientist Manager at Corning Life Sciences, will highlight novel approaches to generate spheroids and organoids in mass quantities. Corning’s latest innovations equip researchers with scaffold and scaffold-free solutions along with automation to provide consistent and reproducible results and allow researchers to implement more complex and informative assays. | Austin Mogen, Ph.D.
Field Application Scientist Manager
Corning Life Sciences Dr. Austin Mogen is Field Application Scientist Manager for Western United States and Latin America at Corning Life Sciences. He received his doctorate from the University of Florida and gained industry experience as a Senior Scientist of upstream process development and manufacturing supervisor for viral vector manufacturing. In this position he focused on bioprocess development, closed system solutions for cell culture scale-up, and viral vector production. Since joining Corning, Dr. Mogen works extensively with academic researchers and process development groups, optimizing cell culture assays and cellular scale-up conditions for viral production, cellular therapeutics, and biologics. | |
