December 11, 2024.

The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) hosted its highly anticipated annual scientific conference, Forum for Discovery (FFD), November 11-13 in New York City. A hallmark event for the lupus research community, FFD brings together LRA-funded investigators from across the globe to discuss the latest breakthroughs of their LRA-funded projects. Serving as a crucial platform for fostering collaborations that propel the field forward, FFD convened over 100 attendees and featured 45 poster presentations and 28 oral presentations across key thematic areas designed to advance our understanding of lupus, including:

• Adaptive Immunity
• Improving Prediction of Lupus: Biomarkers and Diagnostic Tools
• Mechanisms of Lupus Pathogenesis
• Translational Lupus Research: Novel Treatments & Targets
• Organ Manifestations in Lupus

FFD 2024 Highlights

The LRA was honored to feature a keynote address by esteemed pioneer of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy, Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD, Stephen and Barbara Friedman Chair, Director, Center for Cell Engineering, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Founding Director, Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Cell Therapy, Columbia University. Dr. Sadelain’s presentation, “The Foundations of CAR Therapy: The CD19 Paradigm,” provided a comprehensive overview, from the early development of CAR cell therapies to current challenges and future opportunities. Dr. Sadelain compared the surge of innovative CAR designs to the Cambrian explosion—a time in Earth’s history when life rapidly diversified—highlighting how these breakthroughs could revolutionize lupus treatment.

In addition to the thematic sessions, this year’s conference introduced an exciting new session of oral abstract presentations, offering trainees and early-stage investigators the opportunity to share their cutting-edge research. This session consisted of brief presentations before their formal poster presentations later in the evening.

Another highlight was an engaging new session titled, “Resetting the Immune System: Next Generation Drug Modalities for Lupus,” featuring presentations on the most advanced therapeutic approaches to reprogramming or resetting the immune system in lupus patients. Roberto Caricchio, MD, Myles J. McDonough Chair in Rheumatology, Professor of Medicine, Chief of the Division of Rheumatology, UMass Chan Medical School; and LRA Scientific Advisory Board member delivered a compelling talk on the promises (including long-term, drug-free remission) and challenges (including clinical trial design and cost) of engineered cell therapies for lupus. Teddy Yewdell, PhD, Principal Scientist, Genentech, discussed the latest advancements in bispecific antibodies, which target two different molecules at the same time and can bring T cells and target cells close together, allowing for more effective killing of the target cell. The session concluded with a dynamic panel of six esteemed scientists and clinicians from academia and biotechnology companies, moderated by Andrew Chan, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President, Research-Biology, Genentech; and Chair of the LRA Scientific Advisory Board.

FFD concluded with a special presentation of the new LRA five-year research roadmap. Attendees also heard updates on Lupus Nexus, a revolutionary program aimed at accelerating precision medicine in lupus through a rich source of longitudinal patient data, and the latest efforts of Lupus Therapeutics, the clinical affiliate of the LRA, to accelerate breakthroughs in clinical lupus research., the clinical affiliate of the LRA, to accelerate breakthroughs in clinical lupus research.

“The LRA remains committed to supporting groundbreaking lupus research, and this year’s Forum for Discovery showcased the exciting progress LRA funded scientists are making towards finding better treatments and ultimately cures for people living with lupus,” noted Teodora Staeva, PhD, LRA Chief Scientific Officer. “We are grateful to the sponsors of this year’s meeting, EMD Serono, Genentech, Merck, and UCB.”