While ASHI is disappointed that we are unable to hold the GenDx Tulip Run as we have in previous years, ASHI and GenDx still want to give attendees the option of a Wednesday morning workout that supports a local OPO, OneLegacy. Even if you've never experienced a Richard Simmons "Sweatin' to the Oldies" workout, Arttie, our talented Richard Simmons impersonator, is sure to get you revved up, laughing and most importantly..sweatin'! In the spirit of competition, there will be prizes awarded to the best dressed, most spirited, and supreme dancer.
The Rose Payne Award was established in 1984 to honor a great scientist and to recognize her long-standing contributions to the field of immunogenetics and her support in the development of the society.
The Science and Technology Initiatives Committee better known as STIC will award three individuals for the Early Career Investigator, the Innovation Scholarship and the Michael Schmiederer Research Science Award
Speaker: James Mathew, PhD – Northwestern University
This plenary session will discuss the pivotal role of HLA in cancer immunotherapy, highlighting the latest research and therapeutic innovations. The first presentation will explore the intricate relationships between HLA genotypes and the neoantigen landscape, revealing how these factors influence immune responses, affect cancer risk, and determine treatment outcomes. The second speaker will introduce the novel peptide-centric (PC)-CAR T cells that target intracellular tumor antigens, thereby expanding the therapeutic potential for solid tumors, with the first PC-CAR entering clinical trials in 2024. Given the essential role of HLA in peptide presentation, the loss of HLA in cancer would be detrimental. The third presentation will focus on the detection and implications of tumor-specific HLA gene downregulation, using advanced in situ immunohistochemistry to enhance our understanding of antigen presentation and resistance mechanisms in cancer immunotherapies. Prepare to be inspired by the transformative potential of these discoveries at the intersection of cancer biology, HLA, and immunotherapy!
Workshop 4, titled "Let’s Get Real, We are Virtually There", will focus on the important topic of Best Practices in HLA Antibody Interpretation and Virtual Crossmatching. Following on the success of Workshop 7 last year, and building on it, we plan to present three interesting HLA antibody cases to all ASHI members who registered for the annual meeting. Each case will include detailed clinical history, sensitization background, and HLA antibody SAB assay results, including raw Luminex csv files. This will allow you to analyze and interpret the antibodies as you would for your patients. However, here’s the twist: for each case, we will also request that you perform virtual crossmatches based on your antibody interpretations. We aim to gather the antibody interpretations and virtual crossmatch results from interested participants. These collective findings will be collated and analyzed for presentation during the workshop. We encourage many of you to share your insights and participate in this interactive, educational and informative session, which promises to be both informative and fun. Your contributions will be invaluable as we continue to develop Best Practices in HLA antibody Interpretation and Virtual Crossmatching.
This session will review historical and current processes for achieving standardized Nomenclature of HLA factors. The need for periodic updates will be discussed, with special focus on current gaps resulting from outdated serological nomenclature The rationale for developing criteria for the definition of HLA antigens in silico will be presented. The resulting updates in assigning serologic antigens corresponding to the vast majority of HLA alleles defined by molecular methods will be presented. Implementation of these updates for their use in Clinical Histocompatibility practices will be discussed.
The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Histocompatibility Committee applies evolving science and technology in transplant immunology to develop, implement, and inform OPTN bylaws, policies, and clinical guidance for organ donation and transplantation. At this year's Combined Directors' and Technologists' Forum, OPTN Histocompatibility Chair Dr. Gerald Morris will provide an important update on behalf of the committee.
The Directors Forum is a session geared toward doctoral members in attendance at the Annual Meeting. The agenda includes updates from the Directors’ Affairs, National Clinical Affairs, and the Science and Technology Initiatives Committees. This informational session also provides an opportunity for networking.
The Laboratory Professionals Forum is a session geared toward non-doctoral members of all levels in attendance at the Annual Meeting. The agenda includes updates from the Technologist Affairs Committee, other associated committees, current methods and new technologies, and other topics relevant to our work. This informational session also provides an opportunity for networking.