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Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics Europe Poster Competition

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Attention Student and Post-doc Members!

The Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics Europe Poster Competition is now open.

This virtual meeting will be held June 8-10, 2021.

To recognize the research activities of promising student and postdoctoral members, The Antibody Society is sponsoring a poster competition for these members in which two winners will be selected to receive:

  • Free registration to attend this virtual conference;
  • An opportunity to present a virtual poster during the conference; 
  • A Digital Badge as a Winner of the Poster Competition; and
  • The Antibody Society’s Award of Excellence (shown above).

In order to be considered for this poster competition, you must be a student or postdoctoral fellow member of The Antibody Society and your poster abstract must be submitted using the poster submission form. Please be sure to check the box on the poster submission form indicating that you want your abstract to be considered for the poster competition.

The Poster submission deadline is April 30, 2021.
Winners will be notified by May 7, 2021.

Submit your poster here!

Poster abstracts may be submitted and accepted for presentation at the conference after April 30th, but any submissions received after April 30 will not be considered for the poster competition.

Not a member? Please join!

In memoriam: Jefferson Foote

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Written by:
E. Sally Ward (a), Peter Jones (b), Tim Buss (c), Cristina Rada (d), Gregory Winter (e) and Richard Willson (f)

a Centre for Cancer Immunology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
b Lode, Cambridge, UK
c Proteogenomics Research Institute for Systems Medicine, San Diego, USA
d MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
e Trinity College, Cambridge, UK
f Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA

Photo courtesy of Kathleen Foote.

Jefferson (Jeff) Foote sadly passed away of pancreatic cancer on January 17, 2020 at the age of 64.  He was a leading figure in physical immunochemistry and antibody humanization, a polymath of broad interests, and a wonderful friend and colleague.  Jeff was born in Chicago and grew up in Tarrytown, NY. Following graduation from Harvard University where he worked in the laboratory of William Lipscomb, he earned his Ph.D. at Berkeley with Howard Schachman, studying the canonical aspartate transcarbamylase system.  In 1985 he moved to the Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge, where he worked with (now Sir) Greg Winter and then with Cesar Milstein. During his time in Cambridge, Jeff applied his understanding of protein biophysics and interaction kinetics to address problems in immunochemistry, increasingly leveraging the availability of the first emerging crystal structures of antibody-antigen complexes. This was before the BIAcore/surface plasmon resonance era that started in the early 1990s, and the work required a comprehensive knowledge of the inner workings of fluorometers, including stop-flow, and the associated mathematical tools. Jeff imported a Macintosh (“Mac”) culture to the laboratory, which was well-received by other local Mac fans in days when benchtop computers were still something of a novelty and there was a threat of other personal computer models becoming the norm.

Whilst at the LMB, Jeff made significant contributions in areas ranging from state-of-the-art antibody engineering to fundamental aspects of B cell biology, including the first description of the CDR grafting, or humanization, of an antibody specific for a hapten.[1] Jeff applied his expertise to determine the affinities of the test grafts, enabling the design principles of the engineered antibodies to be verified in precise, quantitative terms. This seminal study formed the foundation for the subsequent avalanche of therapeutic antibody humanizations, the first of which was the CD52-specific antibody Campath-1 (Alemtuzumab) generated in the Winter/Waldmann laboratories and used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia and multiple sclerosis. In addition, Jeff used the first antibody to be structurally solved in complex with antigen, the anti-lysozyme antibody D1.3, to define how framework residue modifications could restore binding behavior close to that of the donor (rodent) antibody to a humanized antibody.[2] As well as the biophysical characterization of framework mutants, he was also the first to synthesize a “consensus” framework.[2,3]

In parallel to Jeff’s work on antibody humanization, he carried out an extensive analysis with Cesar Milstein on how the maturation of the immune response is accompanied by an increased on-rate of antibodies for binding to their antigen. This study led to the paradigm that the selection of the “fittest” B cells is driven by interaction kinetics.[4] Subsequently, in a second publication with Cesar, Jeff observed that antibodies could undergo switching between different conformations (“conformational isomerism”), resulting in bi- or triphasic interaction kinetics.[5] This not only provided a molecular mechanism for the further diversification of antibodies, but also challenged the longstanding axiom that each lymphocyte produces an antibody with a single combining site.

Jeff was one of those more civilized members of the LMB who drove into work, rather than arriving with the appearance of a half-drowned rat following a cycle ride in the wintry, wet days that were common in Cambridge. Whilst working with Greg Winter in the tiny 5-6 person laboratory known as T4, Jeff relished being in the thick of the day-to-day, frequently frenetic activities. The day usually started with copious quantities of “Java”, an almost toxic, viscous dark brown liquid that kept the group members charged and running. Given that antibody humanization and, subsequently, antibody repertoire work were ongoing in the laboratory at this time, there was rarely a dull moment.

[Read more…]

Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics Poster Competition Winners Announced

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Congratulations to our winners!

To recognize the research activities of promising student and postdoctoral attendees of Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics, The Antibody Society sponsors a competition for members who submit posters for display at the meeting. Our judges select the best work based on originality, relevance and perceived impact on the field of antibody research and development.

This year, our judges selected one student and one postdoc winners who receive: 1) complimentary registration to all conference sessions; 2) an opportunity to give a short oral presentation of their work in one of the conference sessions; and 3) a lovely crystal award.

The winners of the contest are:

Felix Goerdeler, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Germany

Poster title: Fighting protozoan parasites using carbohydrate-binding nanobodies

Dr. Nicolas Bery, Cancer Research Centre of Toulouse, France

Poster title: Discovery of a potent KRAS macromolecule degrader specifically targeting tumours with mutant KRAS

Please join us for the virtual Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics  conference on December 14-16, 2020.

Society members receive a 15% discount on the registration fee. Contact us at membership@antibodysociety.org for the code.

James S. Huston – In Memoriam

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Post written by: Richard Begent, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Oncology, University College London

James S. Huston Jr, Ph.D., antibody engineer and founding President of The Antibody Society, died in Boston on March 25, 2020.

Jim Huston was a distinguished biophysicist and a pioneering antibody engineer; his creation of the single chain Fv (scFv) antibody was a seminal advance. These genetically encoded molecules could express the vast diversity of antibody repertoires, and could be used for specific target binding by themselves, incorporated into multifunctional molecules, attached to cell surfaces or applied in any number of formats relevant to biomedicine.

Antibodies with their multiple functions, including the capacity for specific binding to a range of targets, became practical pharmaceuticals with the advent of monoclonal antibodies as described by Köhler and Milstein in 1975. Genetic manipulation humanized the constant regions, making repeated administration feasible with widespread benefits for human health.

It was evident that the smallest target recognition moiety of antibodies, the variable region (Fv), if produced separately could be linked to many agents, conferring exquisite binding specificity. Since the VH and VL domains are separate in the native form of the Fv, they needed to be joined in a way that retained stability, the binding performance of the two components together, and appropriate flexibility.

Jim proposed doing this with one genetic construct that encoded a single-chain Fv (scFv) in which the VH and VL were joined by a flexible linker. The design issues were complex, but, consummate biophysicist that he was, he translated the requirements into a successful design for the linker. Working with colleagues at Creative Biomolecules, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, an sFv reactive with digoxin was successfully produced and tested. The report (Huston et al 1988) of this work has been cited more than 2,300 times.

scFvs are readily expressed on the surface of filamentous bacteriophage and have often been the basis for naïve human antibody libraries with potential for rapid selection of desired binders from diverse libraries of many millions. This technology can be used for antibody discovery and humanization, and it has been the foundation of many successful commercial ventures. Jim’s own work included the demonstration of scFv fusion proteins and the first scFv intrabody therapy for the neurodegenerative condition, Huntington’s disease, an approach that is now being investigated in Parkinson’s disease.

The scFv format itself forms the targeting basis of T-cell recruiting agents, bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs), and chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), the antigen binding moiety of CAR-T cells. A number of products based on these formats are already licensed for clinical use, while several others are in development. This is an important beginning, but the potential for further applications is great because of the diversity of antibody repertoires and the robust nature of the sFv format.

Jim graduated in Chemistry from the University of Michigan and was awarded his Ph.D. for work on the Fd fragment of IgG and its domains, supervised by Professor Charles Tanford at Duke University. After postdoctoral research at Stanford and Harvard Medical Schools, he joined Creative Biomolecules in Boston in 1983 where he undertook the original work on scFvs. There followed numerous publications and patents relating to engineered antibodies and their applications.

Jim was one of the first people to see the long-term potential of antibody engineering and recognize how broad the applications could be. His lectures on this topic gave a unique experience in that one sometimes seemed to be discovering the meaning of his data simultaneously with him. Those who had the privilege of working with him benefited greatly not only from his generosity, enthusiasm, intellectual rigor and encouragement, but also from his ability to advise wisely or find the appropriate expert. He took the mission of advancing antibody engineering to an international level by serving as the scientific adviser to the Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics meetings for nearly 30 years. Over time, he brought the antibody engineering and therapeutics community together at meetings in San Diego and elsewhere. His insistence that scientific quality and education were the principal criteria for the program resulted in progressive growth and helped to cement a culture encompassing academia and industry. Building on this, he co-founded The Antibody Society in 2007 and was the Founding President and Chairman, remaining a Board Member until his death. He shared the gratification of many that, after a long gestation, antibody engineering is proving so beneficial to human health, with the promise of much more to come.

Jim’s many friends around the world will remember his love of life based on a deep Episcopalian faith, his pride and joy in his family, and the fortitude with which he bore illness over recent years.

The Antibody Society will honor Jim Huston and his many contributions to the field of antibody engineering at our next annual meeting.

Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics, December 2019

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Thank you for joining us at The Antibody Society’s annual Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics meeting held December 9-13, 2019 in San Diego. The meeting was a great opportunity for Society members to connect with industry and academic scientists and executives from around the world, and learn about advances in antibody discovery and development.

As always, The Antibody Society’s members designed the scientific program and acted as session Chairs. The meeting featured sessions on Antibody Libraries, Selection, Screening and Engineering; Bioinformatics and Computational Tools for Antibody Optimization and Engineering; Clinical Data and Lessons from Cancer Immunotherapy; Systems Immunology for Target Discovery; and Targeting Subcellular Trafficking Pathways to Generate Antibody Therapeutics.

AE&T Student/Postdoc Poster Competition

The Society sponsored a poster competition for students and postdocs, with winners receiving complimentary registration, support for travel expenses, and an opportunity to present at the conference. Congratulations to the winners:

Timothy Czajka, University of New York at Albany. Poster title: RIP-Off: An Intrabody-based Strategy to Neutralize Ricin and other Ribosome-Inactivating Protein (RIP) Toxins.

Kamal Joshi, PhD., Genentech. Poster title: Toward Deeper Understanding of Bispecific Antibodies

“Thank you again to the Antibody Society for this recognition and opportunity to speak here.  This is my third time attending the Antibody Engineering and Therapeutics conference and each time I’ve learned more than I could possibly remember and return to the lab with a huge surge of excitement and several new ideas that I’d like to apply to my own project.  I’m honored to be able to present my own research this year alongside so many fascinating talks and to be able to engage with many different experts in the field.  I would also like to thank my advisor, Nicholas Mantis, and Anne Messer for their help with my research and encouragement to attend and apply for this award.” Timothy Czajka

 

“It is an honor to receive this award. I would like to thank the judges for conferring this recognition on my work. I would also like to thank the Antibody Society, of course for funding my trip here but more importantly for organizing these fantastic meetings and providing a solid platform for the exchange of the latest information on antibody research and development benefiting all including early stage career scientists like me. It’s a real treat coming back to this meeting every time. Not only do I learn what is ongoing in the field, this meeting also provides me the opportunity to network with fellow scientists and facilitate connections. So again, thank you to the Antibody Society for this award. Thank you all.” Kamal Joshi, Ph.D.

 

Moments at Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics

 

We look forward to seeing you at AE&T in December 2020!

All Society members receive discounts on registration to Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics (US), as well as registration at many antibody-related meetings.