By Gwyneth Astles
BRINGING YOU THE LATEST NEWS & EVENTS FROM THE SCIENCE INDUSTRY
Sjöberg laureate reveals new immune targets for cancer treatment
Miriam Merad, a pioneer in cancer immunology at Mount Sinai, USA, has uncovered critical insights into how cells in the innate immune system can influence the body’s ability to combat tumours. Her groundbreaking work has made these cells an exciting new avenue for innovative cancer therapies, earning her the prestigious Sjöberg Prize, valued at one million US dollars.
While the adaptive immune system, particularly T cells, is known for its role in attacking tumours, Merad’s research reveals that myeloid cells, including macrophages from the innate immune system, also play a pivotal role in cancer’s microenvironment.
Over two decades of dedicated research, Merad made a game-changing discovery: not all macrophages come from the blood system; some develop early in embryonic life. She then focused on understanding how these myeloid cells interact with various cancers, revealing that macrophages, typically responsible for cleaning dead cells and bacteria, can be hijacked by tumours. This manipulation suppresses T cell activity, hindering their ability to destroy cancer cells
Future Labs Live 2025
and facilitating tumour growth.
In recent years, Merad’s work has progressed further, especially with studies involving lung cancer in both mice and humans. By disrupting signals from macrophages, she found that T cells became more responsive, significantly enhancing their capacity to target tumours. This intervention has shown promise in reducing tumour size or even halting its progression, offering new hope for cancer treatments. The prize money will enable Merad to expand her research, particularly into the role of inflammatory myeloid cells in cancer development, especially in older patients.
Miriam Merad. Image Credit: Mount Sinai Health System.
“I’m deeply honoured to receive this award, which will be instrumental in advancing our efforts to modulate myeloid
cells and their impact on cancer progression, especially in aging populations,” Merad said. “Prevention-focused research is often underfunded, so this prize comes at a crucial time for our team.”
The Sjöberg Prize Committee, part of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, is excited about the future of Merad’s research. “Miriam Merad is a pioneer in cancer immunotherapy, and her discoveries on myeloid cells are a breakthrough with enormous potential for shaping the next generation of cancer treatments,” said Thomas Perlmann, member of the Academy and chair of the Prize Committee.
Miriam Merad is a Professor of Cancer Immunology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. She also serves as the Director of both the Precision Immunology Institute and the Marc & Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute.
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Keynote speakers announced for Therapeutic Oligonucleotides 2025
The upcoming Therapeutic Oligonucleotides 2025 conference, hosted by ELRIG, will take place at AstraZeneca’s R&D site in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 14–15 May. This year’s event, focused on ‘drugging the undruggable’, will be led by keynote speakers Professor Rory Johnson, University College Dublin, and Dr Shalini Andersson, Vice President of Nucleic Acid Therapeutics at AstraZeneca.
Taking place from 27–28 May 2025 at the Congress Center Basel, Switzerland, Future Labs Live is Europe’s most diverse, dynamic, and stimulating event dedicated to the future of laboratories. The 2025 edition will bring together visionaries, thought leaders, and professionals from across various lab-focused industries to explore innovative solutions, collaborate, and address the biggest challenges shaping the labs of tomorrow.
The event features an expansive exhibition floor showcasing world-leading suppliers of cutting-edge technology, software, and hardware. Additionally, the start-up zone provides a platform for smaller companies to present the latest innovations.
With a conference program spanning nine themes, Future Labs Live offers a wide array of insightful sessions, fostering thought-provoking discussions and knowledge sharing.
The event provides unmatched opportunities for networking, collaboration, and learning. Attendees will connect with industry experts and gain insights into the latest advancements driving the evolution of labs worldwide.
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The conference will bring together leading scientists from academia and industry to explore advances in oligonucleotide-based drug discovery, including antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and small interfering RNA (siRNA). Attendees will discuss target identification, safety and efficacy improvements, and the use of targeted delivery approaches. The program will feature poster presentations, networking sessions, a vendor exhibition, and an AstraZeneca R&D site tour, along with a poster award for early-career researchers.
Professor Rory Johnson. Dr Shalini Andersson.
Professor Rory Johnson specialises in the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in human health and disease. His research integrates bioinformatics and experimental methods, and he has contributed to foundational lncRNA gene annotations through work with the GENCODE consortium. His team has developed CRISPR-Cas and cancer-driver screening approaches to identify oncogenic lncRNAs as potential therapeutic targets. His keynote address will focus on ‘Genomics-powered lncRNA therapeutics for oncology’.
Dr Shalini Andersson leads AstraZeneca’s nucleic acid therapeutics strategy and has extensive experience in drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and lead optimisation. She plays a key role in AstraZeneca’s collaborations with Ionis Pharma, Silence Therapeutics, and JCR Pharmaceuticals. Her keynote will explore ‘Developing nucleic acids into therapeutics and enabling expansion of target space using targeted delivery’.
The event aims to build on the success of the inaugural Therapeutic Oligonucleotides meeting by fostering collaboration across disciplines to advance oligonucleotide therapeutics towards clinical application.
More information online:
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