Membrane-bound proteins are attractive drug targets for antibodies and other protein scaffolds, but for the field to advance, fundamental challenges in optimizing antigen quality and presentation, discovery methodologies, protein engineering and target
identification must be resolved. This two-part meeting provides a forum in which discovery biologists and protein engineers can come together to discuss next generation strategies and technologies that will allow antibody-based therapeutics directed
against GPCR and ion channel targets to advance into the clinic and beyond. Part 1, Antigen and Antibody Generation, will focus on best practices for antigen preparation, new approaches to antibody generation and the important role of structural modeling and analysis
– and track early stage, preclinical and clinical progress in this space.
Preliminary Agenda
Novel Biologies and Modalities for Targeting Membrane Proteins
Zhiqiang An, PhD, Professor, Chemistry; Director, Texas Therapeutics Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Clinical and Preclinical Progress in Targeting Membrane Proteins: What is Working (and Not)?
Catherine Hutchings, PhD, Independent Consultant, United Kingdom
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: GPCRomics: “New” GPCRs that Expand their Clinical Utility as Drug Targets
Paul Insel, MD, Professor, Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego
Using Proteoliposome to Validate the Functionality of Purified Membrane Proteins
Zhenwei Su, PhD, Senior Scientist, Pfizer
DNA-Corralled Nanodiscs for Study of Large Membrane Proteins and Their Complexes
Mahmoud Nasr, PhD, Instructor, Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School
Overcoming Production Challenges for Membrane Proteins
Leyu Wang, PhD, Senior Scientist, Protein Sciences, Abbvie
Talk Title to be Announced
Ted Clark, Founder & CSO, TetraGenetics, Inc
Luncheon Presentation: Specificity Profiling and High-Resolution Epitope Mapping of Challenging MAbs
Benjamin Doranz, PhD, MBA, President and CEO, Integral Molecular
Talk Title to be Announced
Nikša Kastrapeli, PhD, Director, Lead Identification, Biotherapeutics Molecule Discovery, Boehringer Ingelheim
New Tools to Characterize Antibodies Against Membrane Proteins
Rajesh Vij, Senior Scientific Researcher, Antibody Engineering, Genentech
High-Quality Antibodies for Therapeutic Applications
Vera Molkenthin, PhD, Chief Scientist, AbCheck
Single-Domain Antibody Fragments as Tools to Interrogate GPCR Structure and Function
Andrew Kruse, PhD, Principal Investigator, Harvard Medical School
Single-Domain Antibody Libraries for Difficult Membrane Targets
Jamshid Tanha, PhD, Research Officer, National Research Council, Canada
Applications of Cryo-EM for Discovery and Development of Antibodies against Membrane Protein Targets
Xinchao Yu, PhD, Group Leader, Cryo-EM, Amgen
How Native-MS can Complement Xray and CryoEM Studies in Understanding the Interactions of Membrane Proteins with Lipids and Proteins
Arthur Laganowsky, PhD, Assistant Professor, Chemistry, Texas A&M University
Membrane Protein Tools and Technologies – What is Working and What Isn’t?
Moderator: Kevin Heyries, PhD, Co-Founder, AbCellera, Canada
Please click here to continue to the agenda for Antibodies Against Membrane Proteins – Part 2
Part 2 explores developments at the discovery and screening stages and offers focused sessions on the GPCR and ion channel target classes.
For more details on the conference, please contact:
Kent Simmons
Senior Conference Director
Cambridge Healthtech Institute
Phone: (+1) 207-869-9199
Email: ksimmons@healthtech.com
For partnering and sponsorship information, please contact:
Rod Eymael
Manager, Business Development
Cambridge Healthtech Institute
Phone: (+1) 781-247-6286
Email: reymael@healthtech.com