Welcome & Introduction  

Lubka Roumenina, PhD

INSERM, France

9:05 - 9:35

(5 min. Q&A)

Introduction to Inflammation and Cancer

Emese Zsiros, MD, PhD

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, USA

9:35 - 10:05

(5 min. Q&A)

Complement Cascade and Cancer  

Rubén Pío Osés, PhD

University of Navarra, Spain

10:05 - 10:30

(5 min. Q&A)

Intracellular Complement and Cancer  

Lubka Roumenina, PhD

INSERM, France

In the past decade it was discovered that the complement proteins are not acting solely in the circulation in the context of the complement cascade but can function in a cell autonomous, intracellular manner. We and others have evidenced that overexpression of intracellular complement proteins influence cancer progression by controlling the hallmarks of cancer, such as sustaining proliferative signalling, resisting cell death, enabling replicative immortality, deregulated metabolism and evading immunity, acquired during the multistep development of human tumors. This talk will summarize the current knowledge on the intracellular mode of action of the complement proteins in cancer and the questions to be answered to pave the way for tackling them in the process of cancer treatment.

10:45 - 11:15

(5 min. Q&A)

Role of Complement in the Respronse to Cytotoxic Therapy

Monica Olcina, PhD

University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Monica Olcina is a Group Leader in the department of Oncology, University of Oxford. She is also an Associate Research Fellow at St Hilda’s College, University of Oxford. Monica leads the Olcina lab which is focused on understanding how tumours thrive in immunosuppressive microenvironments; including how they exploit the complement system for their survival advantage. We use this knowledge to identify druggable tumour-specific vulnerabilities to improve tumour response and reduce treatment-induced toxicity.

11:15 - 11:45

(5 min. Q&A)

Complement Activation as an Anti-Cancer Therapy  

Edward Patz, MD  

Duke University, USA

Tumor cell killing can be initiated by IgG antibodies that target tumor cells. This can then lead to a cascade of events that promotes anti-tumor immunity and a durable clinical response. We have found a tumor specific anti-complement factor H IgG3 autoantibody that not only causes tumor cell death by CDC and ADCP, but also activates the complement system and the split products help drive a potent adaptive immune response through multiple mechanisms. This immune modulating strategy be used as a novel treatment approach for cancer.

11:45 - 12:15

(5 min. Q&A)

Complement Inhibition as an Anti-Cancer Therapy  

Brahm Segal, MD

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, USA

12:15 - 12:30

Concluding Remarks

Brahm Segal, MD