Synopsis

This first ever Fusion Conference focused on the biology and therapy of Myeloid malignancies aims to bring together leading experts to discuss the latest advancements and current challenges in this rapidly evolving field. This conference will provide a comprehensive overview of basic, translational, and clinical research, highlighting the collaborative efforts to improve our understanding and treatment of myeloid malignancies. This is a fast-evolving area, where significant strides have been made in uncovering the molecular and genetic foundations of the large variety of myeloid neoplasms and also pre-neoplastic conditions. Also, it is an area that has been marked by a number of technologic advances, including in computational analysis, single cell sequencing and spatial omics mapping in different tissues and microenvironments. The meeting will also highlight efforts to translate basic research findings into clinical applications.
Sessions will showcase novel biomarkers for early diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment monitoring, including the use of minimal residual disease (MRD) markers. Innovative preclinical models, such as patient-derived xenografts and organoids, will be discussed, illustrating their utility in testing new therapeutic agents. The development of targeted therapies, including FLT3, IDH1/2, Menin inhibitors and BH3 mimetics, will be discussed and mechanisms of response and resistance will be analyzed. Moreover, the Conference welcomes clinical presentations that provide updates on recent clinical trials and emerging therapeutic strategies. The meeting will explore combination therapies that integrate targeted agents with traditional chemotherapies or immunotherapies, aiming to enhance efficacy and overcome resistance. Managing treatment-related toxicities and the importance of supportive care in improving patient outcomes will also be addressed. A highlight will be the exploration of immunotherapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, bispecific antibody treatments and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Such treatments have shown promise in other blood cancer and are now being actively investigated for myeloid malignancies. The challenges of immune evasion mechanisms in these cancers will be examined, emphasizing the need for combinatorial approaches to optimize the effectiveness of such immune-focused treatments. The meeting will also focus on future research directions in our field. The need for multidisciplinary collaborations to integrate insights from basic, computational, translational, and clinical research will be emphasized. Emerging technologies, such as spatial sequencing, advanced imaging techniques or CRISPR/Cas9 editing approaches, to mention a few, will be discussed. Additionally, the importance of patient-centric research, incorporating patient-reported outcomes and quality of life measures, will be highlighted.
In summary, this meeting aims to provide a comprehensive update on the current status of the area of myeloid malignancy. By showcasing the dynamic interplay between basic discoveries and clinical applications, the conference will underscore the progress made in understanding and treating these complex diseases while also identifying ongoing challenges and future research needs. The event will serve as a platform for fostering collaboration and advancing the field.

Confirmed Keynote Speakers

John Dick (University of Toronto)
WHAT MAKES A STEM CELL A STEM CELL AND HOW DOES IT GO BAD
Margaret A. Goodell (Baylor College of Medicine)
NOVEL MECHANISMS OF AML PATHOGENESIS

Confirmed Invited Speakers

Scott Armstrong (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)
THERAPEUTIC TARGETING OF CHROMATIN COMPLEXES IN LEUKEMIA
Ido Amit (Weizmann Institute of Science)
LEVERAGING SINGLE-CELL TECHNOLOGIES TO ENGINEER THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
David Beck (NYU Grossman School of Medicine)
Courtney DiNardo (MD Anderson Cancer Center)
OPTIMIZING TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH AML
Ann-Kathrin Eisfeld (The Ohio State University)
Saar Gill (University of Pennsylvania)
CELL THERAPY OF MYELOID MALIGNANCIES
Tanja Gruber (Stanford University)
Dan Landau (Weill Cornell Medicine)
Sanam Loghavi (MD Anderson Cancer Center)
CONTEMPORARY DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION, RISK STRATIFICATION AND DISEASE MONITORING OF ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA
Linde Miles (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital)
INTERROGATING CLONAL EVOLUTION IN ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA
Johanna Olweus (Oslo University Hospital)
Elli Papaemmanouil (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)
Eirini Papapetrou (Mount Sinai - New York)
Bethan Psaila (University of Oxford)
COMBATING CANCER IN A CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT – THE MYELOFIBROTIC NICHE 
Eytan Stein (Memorial Sloan Kettering)
BUILDING ON THE SUCCESS OF MENIN INHIBITORS IN ACUTE LEUKEMIA
Jennifer Trowbridge (The Jackson Laboratory)
THE BONE MARROW MICROENVIRONMENT IN CLONAL HEMATOPOIESIS AND MYELOID MALIGNANCY
Andreas Trumpp (Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology)
THERAPY-SPECIFIC RESPONSE AND RESISTANCE OF LEUKEMIC STEM CELL SUBTYPES
George Vassiliou (Cambridge Stem Cell Institute)
CLONAL HAEMATOPOIESIS AND PREVENTION OF MYELOID MALIGNANCIES
Paresh Vyas (University of Oxford)
TCR BASED THERAPY FOR AML

Target Audience

• Haematologists and Oncologists
• Researchers and Scientists in the areas of Haematopoiesis and Leukaemia
• Haemato-Pathologists and Molecular Pathologists
• Immunologists with a focus in hematologic malignancies
• Technology developers with an emphasis on imaging and sequencing-based approaches

Educational Need

There are few meetings that focus on hematologic malignancies and even fewer focusing on the study of acute leukaemia. The field is quite large, with a large number of basic, translational and clinical researchers around the country and the world. There are even fewer meetings outside of the US, suggesting that there will be a large number of applicants outside of the US, mainly from Europe and the middle east.

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