B Cells and Tertiary Lymphoid Structures: Emerging Targets in Cancer Therapeutics (J1)
October 1-4, 2023  | Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler, BC, Canada
Tullia C. Bruno, Brad H. Nelson, Daniel Hollern and Marie-Caroline Dieu-Nosjean
Scholarship Deadline: Jun. 28, 2023 | Abstract Deadline: Jun. 28, 2023 | Early Registration Deadline: Aug. 1, 2023
* Session Chair † Invited but not yet accepted | Program current as of November 4, 2025 2 PM | For the most up-to-date details, visit https://www.keystonesymposia.org
Sunday, October 1, 2023
10:00–2:00 PM Arrival and Registration Grand Foyer
12:00–2:00 PM Welcome Mixer Grand Foyer
Monday, October 2, 2023
1:00–2:00 AM Breakfast Sea to Sky A
2:00–3:00 AM Welcoming Remarks and Keynote Session (Joint) Sea to Sky B/C
  * Tullia C. Bruno, University of Pittsburgh
Session Chair		  
  * Shane Crotty, La Jolla Institute for Immunology
Session Chair		  
  * Michela Locci, University of Pennsylvania
Session Chair		  
  * Brad H. Nelson, BC Cancer Agency
Session Chair		  
  Pamela L. Schwartzberg, NIAID, National Institutes of Health
Hyperactivated PI3Kd, in a Human Primary Immunodeficiency, Influences Tfh and Germinal Centers, Altering Self and Commensal Reactivity and Humoral Immunity		  
3:00–3:30 AM Coffee Break Grand Foyer
3:30–5:00 AM Antibody and Cell based Mechanisms of B Cells in the TME Sea to Sky B
  Daniel Hollern, The Salk Institute
Modulation of B Cell Function in Breast Cancer		  
  Brad H. Nelson, BC Cancer Agency
B Cell Function Within Ovarian Cancer Patients		  
  Claudia Jakubzick, Dartmouth College
The Role of Natural Antibodies in Anti-Tumor Immunity		  
5:00–7:00 AM Poster Setup Sea to Sky A
5:00–11:00 AM On Own for Lunch
7:00–4:00 PM Poster Viewing Sea to Sky A
8:30–10:30 AM Workshop 1: Unifying the Definition of TLS in Solid Tumors Sea to Sky B
  * Dimitrios N Sidiropoulos, Johns Hopkins
Session Chair		  
  * Karina Silina, ETHZ
Session Chair		  
  Marion Le Rochais, UMR 1227 LBAI
Achieving Reproducible Maturation Staging of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures: from Imaging Mass Cytometry Data to Pathology Applications		  
  Jessica Da Gama Duarte, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute
B Cells and Tertiary Lymphoid Structures can Predict Prostate Cancer Outcomes		  
  Francine Padonou, Institut Jules Bordet
Biomarkers of Functionally Active Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Human Breast Cancer		  
  Victoire Boulat, King's College London
Crosstalk Between Tumour-Infiltrating B cells, Tertiary Lymphoid Structures and Lymph Nodes in Triple Negative Breast Cancer		  
  Alessandra Vaccaro, Uppsala University
Spatial Transcriptomics Identifies Subtypes of Lymphoid Aggregates and their Key Gene Signatures in Human Glioblastoma		  
  Dimitrios N Sidiropoulos, Johns Hopkins
Machine Learning Integrating Spatial Transcriptomics and Proteomics Uncovers Patterns of B Cell Response in Intratumoral Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Pancreatic Cancer Pathologic Responders		  
  Karina Silina, ETHZ
Organ-specific Determinants of Lymphoid Neogenesis in Human Kidney and Lung Cancer		  
10:30–11:00 AM Coffee Available Grand Foyer
11:00–1:00 PM Function and Formation of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in the TME Sea to Sky B
  * Marie-Caroline Dieu-Nosjean, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses
Session Chair		  
  * Kevin Ng, Rockefeller University
Session Chair		  
  Marie-Caroline Dieu-Nosjean, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses
Modulating Tertiary Lymphoid Structure Formation in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients		  
  Catherine Sautes-Fridman, INSERM U872 Cordeliers Research Center
Tertiary Lymphoid Structures and B Cells in Immunotherapy Response		  
  Victor H. Engelhard, University of Virginia
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Driving Development of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Cancer		  
  Kevin Ng, Rockefeller University
Short Talk: Short Talk: Dissecting Germinal Centre Responses in Human and Murine Lung Cancer		  
  Meike S Thijssen, Maastricht University
Short Talk: Short Talk: Germinal Centre B Cells are Affected by Neuronal Density in Colorectal Cancer		  
1:00–2:00 PM Social Hour with Lite Bites Sea to Sky A
1:30–4:00 PM Poster Session 1 Sea to Sky A
Tuesday, October 3, 2023
1:00–2:00 AM Breakfast Sea to Sky A
2:00–5:00 AM T and B Cell Interactions in Tissues and TLS (Joint) Sea to Sky B/C
  * Tullia C. Bruno, University of Pittsburgh
Session Chair		  
  * Shane Crotty, La Jolla Institute for Immunology
Session Chair		  
  Ziv Shulman, Weizmann Institute
Unexpected Tumor-Reactive Antibodies		  
  Nikhil S. Joshi, Yale University School of Medicine
Neoantigen-Driven B Cell and CD4 T Follicular Helper Cell Collaboration Promotes Anti-Tumor CD8 T Cell		  
  Jennifer L. Gommerman, University of Toronto
Meningeal Inflammation in Multiple Sclerosis – What Are B Cells Doing?		  
  Shane Crotty, La Jolla Institute for Immunology
The Importance of Tfh and Germinal Centers in Regulating Immunodominance for Vaccines Against Challenging Targets		  
  Inta Gribonika, National Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Short Talk: Short Talk: Microbiota Induced Humoral Immunity is Driven by Autonomous Skin-intrinsic Germinal Centers		  
  Ian MacFawn, University of Pittsburgh
Short Talk: Short Talk: The Activity of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer is Governed by Site, Stroma, and Cellular Interactions		  
3:00–3:20 AM Coffee Break Grand Foyer
5:00–7:00 AM Poster Setup Sea to Sky A
5:00–11:00 AM On Own for Lunch
7:00–4:00 PM Poster Viewing Sea to Sky A
8:30–10:30 AM Career Roundtable (Joint)
  Tyler J. Curiel, Dartmouth College
Professor of Medicine		  
  Hong I. Wan, Tallac Therapeutics
President, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder		  
  Dinis Pedro Calado, Francis Crick Institute
Senior Group Leader		  
  Myong-Hee Mia Sung, NIH
Earl Stadtman Investigator & Chief, Transcription Systems Dynamics and Biology Unit		  
10:30–11:00 AM Coffee Available Grand Foyer
11:00–1:00 PM Harnessing the Microbiome-Tumor-Stromal Interface for Improved TLS Formation and Function Sea to Sky B
  * Tina Cascone, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Session Chair		  
  * Clémence Riffard, Inserm - CIMI Paris
Session Chair		  
  Tullia C. Bruno, University of Pittsburgh
Manipulating the Tumor-Stromal Interface for Improved Function of Tertiary Lymphoid Structure		  
  Tina Cascone, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
T/B Cell-Antigen Specific Murine Models of Lung Cancer to Study TLS in Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy		  
  Abby E. Overacre, University of Pittsburgh
Diet and Microbiome Control of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment		  
  Clémence Riffard, Inserm - CIMI Paris
Short Talk: Short Talk: Are ILC3 Recruited to Inflamed Lungs Involved in the Neogenesis of Pulmonary Tertiary Lymphoid Structures?		  
  Tiarne van de Walle, Uppsala Universitet, Rudbeck Laboratoriet
Short Talk: Short Talk: MAdCAM-1+ Tumor-associated High Endothelial Venules are Key for LIGHT-mediated Anti-glioma Immunity		  
1:00–2:00 PM Social Hour with Lite Bites Sea to Sky A
1:30–4:00 PM Poster Session 2 Sea to Sky A
Wednesday, October 4, 2023
1:00–2:00 AM Breakfast Sea to Sky A
2:00–5:00 AM Modulating Intratumoral B Cells and Antigen Specificity for Improved Immunotherapeutics Sea to Sky B
  * Allison N Casey, University of Pittsburgh
Session Chair		  
  * Daniel Hollern, The Salk Institute
Session Chair		  
  Aaron M. Ring, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
The Importance of Antigen Specificity for Intratumoral B Cell Function		  
  Yuliya Pylayeva-Gupta, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Determinants of B Cell Fate and Function in Cancer		  
  Hong I. Wan, Tallac Therapeutics
TAC-001, a Toll-Like Receptor (TLR9) Agonist Antibody Conjugate Targeting B Cells, Promotes Anti-Tumor Immunity		  
  Anna Cole, Emory University
Short Talk: Short Talk: B Cells Empower Th17 Cells to Regress Solid Tumors		  
  Dominique Armstrong, Baylor College of Medicine
Short Talk: Short Talk: MAGE-A4 Induces Lung Adenocarcinoma via Accumulation of Immunosuppressive Plasma Cells		  
  Kevin M. McBride, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Cancer
Short Talk: Short Talk: B-Cell Receptor (BCR) Repertoire and Antibody Recognition Analysis of Melanoma Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Immune Checkpoint Blockade (ICB)		  
  Allison N Casey, University of Pittsburgh
Short Talk: Short Talk: Circulating and Intratumoral Extrafollicular Memory B Cells have Reduced Effector Function and Correlate with Advanced Disease		  
3:00–3:20 AM Coffee Break Grand Foyer
5:00–7:00 AM Poster Setup Sea to Sky A
5:00–11:00 AM On Own for Lunch
7:00–4:00 PM Poster Viewing Sea to Sky A
8:30–10:30 AM Workshop 2: Targeting B Cells and TLS: from Bench to Bedside Sea to Sky B
  * Nicole Baumgarth, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Session Chair		  
  * Andreas Wieland, The Ohio State University
Session Chair		  
  Andreas Wieland, The Ohio State University
Defining HPV-specific B Cell Responses in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer		  
  Elizabeth Evans, Vaccinex, Inc.
Inhibition of Semaphorin 4D in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Therapy Promotes Organized Lymphoid Structures within the Tumor Microenvironment that Correlate with Clinical Outcome		  
  Richard G. James, University of Washington and Seattle Children's Research Institute
Engineering Plasma Cells for Tumor Eradication		  
  Allyson Banville, BC Cancer - Victoria
Seeing is B-lieving: Discovering the Target Antigens and Effector Functions of Tumor-infiltrating B Cells		  
  Philipp Carl Georg Paparoditis, Weizmann Institute of Science
Self-reactive T Helper Cells Promote B Cell Responses in Ovarian Cancer Patients		  
  Nicole Baumgarth, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Presence of CD11c+ B Cells with Potent Effector Memory Phenotype in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer		  
  Daniel H Shu, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Immune Landscape of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Neoadjuvant Immune Checkpoint Blockade		  
  Yunqiao Li, The Scripps Research Institute
Inhibition of Plasma Cell Differentiation Promotes Antitumor Immunity		  
10:30–11:00 AM Coffee Available Grand Foyer
11:00–12:30 PM B Cell and Antibody Engineering for Improved Immunotherapy Sea to Sky B
  * Justin J. Taylor, University of Virginia
Session Chair		  
  Justin J. Taylor, University of Virginia
Engineering B Cells for Experimental or Clinical Use		  
  Chrystal M. Paulos, Emory University School of Medicine
The Importance of B Cells in Adoptive Cell Therapies		  
  Mark T. Selby, Walking Fish Therapeutics, Inc.
Engineered B Cells To Accelerate Antigen Presentation in Oncology		  
12:30–1:15 PM Closing Keynote Address Sea to Sky B
  Karen Willard-Gallo, Universite Libre de Bruxelles
Tfh and Germinal Center B Cells: Key Constituents of Functionally Active Tertiary Lymphoid Structures and Anti-Tumor Immunity		  
1:15–1:30 PM Meeting Wrap-Up: Outcomes and Future Directions (Organizers) Sea to Sky B
1:30–2:30 PM Social Hour with Lite Bites Sea to Sky A
1:30–4:00 PM Poster Session 3 Sea to Sky A
2:00–4:00 PM Cash Bar Sea to Sky A
Thursday, October 5, 2023
1:00–5:59 PM Departure