NGS IEG: Identifying response biomarkers for a promising TREG therapy in ALS
Hello NGS IEG members!
We are happy to announce our next NGS IEG talk will be from Dr. from Alex V. Nesta, PhD, Vindhya Data Science on December 19th! Please see the following information below:
Title: Identifying response biomarkers for a promising TREG therapy in ALS
Abstract: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains a devastating fatal neurodegenerative disease that lacks a clinically beneficial therapeutic option despite previous efforts. The role of neuroinflammation in ALS suggests regulatory T cells (TREGs) could provide a therapeutic benefit through their immunomodulatory function. In collaboration with Columbia University and Cellenkos Inc., we evaluated ALS patient response to allogeneic umbilical cord blood-derived TREGs and observed the slowing of functional decline during and after treatment. Despite the challenges of limited sample size and sparse longitudinal data, we developed systematic approaches to evaluate clinical outcomes and identify potential inflammatory biomarkers that correlate with treatment response. These findings provide compelling beneficial evidence for TREG therapy in ALS and demonstrate how carefully designed analytical methods can reveal meaningful insights from limited clinical datasets.
Speaker bio: Alex Nesta, PhD is a Data Scientist at Vindhya Data Science, a bioinformatics consulting group of industry experts that partner with biotech companies and academic institutions to derive meaningful insights from complex biological data. He received his PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Connecticut Health Center and the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, where his research investigated mechanisms of transposable element splicing in breast cancer using long-read RNA sequencing.
Date: December 19th, 2024
Schedule:
Lunch/social - 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM
Presentation - 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
Social hour - 1:30 PM to 2:00 PM
Format: Meeting will be held both virtually and in-person. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.
Event Address:
North Carolina Biotechnology Center
15 T.W. Alexander Drive
Research Triangle Park,
NC 27709
Zoom link: https://ncbiotech.zoom.us/j/86440658342?pwd=MU9IckpYQUhHTnV6NE1UcXUvYnNXUT09
Meeting ID: 864 4065 8342
Passcode: 583621
Other NGS IEG info/links:
The NextGen Sequencing Intellectual Exchange Group (NGS IEG) provides a forum to share methods and technologies driving biotechnology research in North Carolina from both academic and private research groups. NGS IEG provides an excellent networking opportunity for biotech leaders, academics, and students interested in networking with local RTP biotech. We gather industry leaders from the RTP area to share, discuss and review their new technologies, research, and big-data platforms in a casual environment with lunch provided. Related NGS IEG links below:
Website & schedule:https://www.ncbiotech.org/networking/exchange-groups/next-generation-sequencing-group
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9175395/
Slack: https://join.slack.com/t/ngsiegrtp/shared_invite/zt-1jzbjegfp-NaawAc2nhzK~D_Z4DlKMWw