Past Program (ECM2024)

Monday 17 June

8:00-9:00
Welcome and Registration: Poster Hanging and Danish Pastry (Congress Hall)

8:15-8:45
Meet the Experts: Everything You Want to Know About ECM (Harlekin)
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9:00-10:15
Opening Session (Congress Hall)

Chair: Morten Karsdal

9:00-9:30: Morten Karsdal: Welcome and introduction.
9:30-10:15: K1 Raghu Kalluri: The function of fibroblasts and collagen in organ fibrosis and cancer.
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10:15-10:45
Coffee Break and Exhibition
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10:45-12:20
Plenary Session: The Essential Components of the ECM (Congress Hall)

Chair: Detlef Schuppan

10:45-11:10: Scott Friedman: Insights into the cell biology of fibrosis and prospects for new targets.
11:10-11:35: Sylvie Ricard-Blum: The ECM crosslinking enzyme lysyl oxidase: a structurally and functionally challenging therapeutic target.
11:35-11:50: OP1 Mayra Campos: Common molecular (omics) fibrotic signature across organs affected by fibrosis in chronic diseases.
11:50-12:05: OP2 Jade Celis: Identifying genetic markers of fibrostenosis in patients with Crohn’s disease.
12:05-12:20: OP3 Sarah Palko: Determining the effects of VEGF/Ang2 inhibition on collagen dynamics and deposition in the 2-hit model of subretinal fibrosis.
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12:20-14:00
Lunch and Exhibition

12:50-14:00
Industry-Sponsored Symposium: Targeting Fibrosis: Changing the ECM I (Harlekin)

Chair: Saurabh Gupta

12:50-13:10: Michael Cooreman: PPARs: Regulators of tissue remodeling.
13:10-13:25: Giuseppe Mazza, Engitix Therapeutics: Beyond the cells: decoding the extracellular matrix to develop novel therapies for fibrosis and cancer.
13:25-13:40: Paul Yaworsky, Mediar Therapeutics: Targeting the myofibroblast for novel anti-fibrotic therapies.
13:40-13:55: Lara Perryman, Syntara: Finally an anti-fibrotic! Clinical efficacy of lysyl oxidase inhibitors.
13:55-14:00: Q&A

12:50-13:55
Industry-Sponsored Symposium: ECM Remodeling in Obesity and Metabolic Disorders: Causing Heart Failure (Columbine)

Chair: Kim Henriksen

12:50-13:20: Mads Røpke, Novo Nordisk: Modulation of the extracellular matrix in cardiometabolic disease.
13:20-13:35: Zvonko Milicevic, Eli Lilly: Effects of tirzepatide and retatrutide in the liver: results of the phase 2 trials.
13:35-13:50: Joel Mathews, Ionis Pharmaceuticals: The formation of TTR fibrils and fibrosis.
13:50-13:55: Q&A
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14:00-15:35
Plenary Session: The Importance of ECM in Cancer (Congress Hall)

Chair: Scott Friedman

14:00-14:25: Thomas Cox: Deconstructing cancer ecosystems: the matrix perspective.
14:25-14:40: Saurabh Gupta: Pathological, prognostic and predictive role of circulating extracellular matrix markers in solid tumors.
14:40-15:05: Janine Erler: ECM regulation of metastatic growth.
15:05-15:20: OP4 Marina Pajic: Reprogramming of pro-fibrotic immuno-suppressive pancreatic cancer environment by anti-fungal itraconazole enhances the overall anti-tumor response.
15:20-15:35: OP5 Nicholas Willumsen: Type III collagen pro-peptides in serum (PRO-C3) as a prognostic biomarker of survival in clinical cancer trials with a FDA letter-of-support.
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15:50-16:45
Industry-Sponsored Symposium: Quantifying Fibrosis (Harlekin)

Chair: Graham Clarke

15:50-16:05: Louis Petitjean, PharmaNest: Digital pathology and artificial intelligence quantification of fibrosis and inflammation.
16:05-16:20: Lars Johansson, Antaros Medical: Non-invasive imaging of fibrogenesis and fibrosis.
16:20-16:35: Aidan MacNamara, Bayer: FIGARO-BM, a biomarker study of FIGARO-DKD, reveals new insights into the mode-of-action of finerenone.
16:35-16:45: Q&A

15:50-16:55
Industry-Sponsored Symposium: Unraveling ECM Dynamics: Techniques (Columbine)

Chairs: Mark Skarsfeldt and Christian Thudium

15:50-16:05: Evelyn Aranda, Xylyx Bio: IN MATRICO: a 3D assay platform based on human tissue-specific dECM for the study of cancer and fibrosis.
16:05-16:20: Luca Bersanini, Optics11 Life: Unravel the role of ECM in fibrosis.
16:20-16:35: Hamid Khoja, FibroBiologics: Potential use of fibroblast spheroids for the treatment of chronic wounds and psoriasis.
16:35-16:50: Molly Coseno, Sengenics: Autoantibody profiling: unique insights into ECM relevant diseases.
16:50-16:55: Q&A
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17:00-18:00
Poster Session 1 (Congress Hall)
(P027-P048, P077-P108)
Categories: Cancer and Tumour Microenvironment, Cardiometabolic Diseases, Liver and Lung Diseases, Matrix Biology.
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17:15-18:00
Panel Discussion: Drug Development in Fibrosis: Challenges and Opportunities (Harlekin)

Chair: Morten Karsdal

Panel: Michael Cooreman, Saurabh Gupta and Paul Yaworsky
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18:00-19:00
Welcome Networking Reception
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Tuesday 18 June

8:00-8:50
Industry-Sponsored Symposium: Elastin and Collagens in Health, Aging and Disease (Harlekin)

Chair: Sylvie Ricard-Blum

8:00-8:30: Hervé Pageon, L’Oréal: Aging of human skin, focus on the glycation reaction, its modeling and its effects on reconstructed skin.
8:30-8:45: Andrea Heinz, University of Copenhagen: Aging of elastic fibers in the skin and cardiovascular system.
8:45-8:50: Q&A

8:00-9:00
Industry-Sponsored Symposium: Exploring Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Fibrotic Drugs: Model Systems (Columbine)

Chair: Federica Genovese

8:00-8:15: Benjamin Simona, Ectica Technologies: 3DPROFIB: innovative in vitro system for ECM remodeling and evaluation of antifibrotic compounds.
8:15-8:30: Henrik Björk Hansen, Gubra: Distinct and shared therapeutic effects of semaglutide in preclinical models of fibrotic diseases.
8:30-9:00: Vince Fiore, Boehringer Ingelheim: Modeling fibroblast heterogeneity in vitro for drug discovery.
9:00-9:05: Q&A
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9:00-10:25
Plenary Session: Dermatology and the ECM (Congress Hall)

Chair: Signe Holm Nielsen

9:00-9:25: Alexander Nyström: What a genetic disease of the matrix can tell us about inflammation-driven fibrosis.
9:25-9:40: Simon Francis Thomsen: Hidradenitis suppurativa and ECM.
9:40-9:55: OP6 Dana Woerz: Extracellular matrix remodeling in atopic dermatitis.
9:55-10:10: OP7 Hannah Paish: Development of an ex-vivo full-thickness skin model for drug testing and disease modelling.
10:10-10:25: OP8 Alexander Eckersley: Novel proteomic approaches for identifying organ-conserved extracellular matrix damage in ageing.
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10:25-11:00
Coffee Break and Exhibition
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11:00-12:00
Rapid Oral Session 1 (Harlekin)

Chair: Michael Cooreman

11:00-11:10: RP1 Lena Willmer: The efficacy of pharmacological interventions on ECM genes and proteins in human lung tissue and a microphysiological system for enhanced cultivation.
11:10-11:20: RP2 Adam Bøgh Marstrand-Jørgensen: Mapping progression of DKD in ReninAAV UNx db/db mice utilizing time-series RNA sequencing.
11:20-11:30: RP3 Hannah Tompkins: High-dimensional imaging analysis reveals distinct immuno-matrix signatures across human lung diseases.
11:30-11:40: RP4 Fabio Bignami: The clinically relevant PRO-C3 biomarker: a new string to the bow of bleomycin model of pulmonary fibrosis.
11:40-11:50: RP5 Paola Occhetta: Pathological hallmarks of human cardiac fibrosis in a mechanically active organ-on-chip to predict the efficacy of drugs and advanced therapies.
11:50-12:00: RP6 Nicole Stupka: ADAMTS-5 inhibition by GLPG1972 reduces muscle inflammation and fibrosis and improves contractile function in muscular dystrophy.

11:00-12:00
Rapid Oral Session 2 (Columbine)

Chair: Andrea Heinz

11:00-11:10: RP7 Matej Andelic: A novel biomarker of type VII collagen degradation is increased in patients with atopic dermatitis and lowered with immunosuppressant treatment.
11:10-11:20: RP8 Marcos Burger Ramos: Engineering ECM-degrading bacteria to boost anti-cancer immunity in immune-excluded solid cancers.
11:20-11:30: RP9 Andre Broermann: Non-invasive assessment of hepatic fibrosis in preclinical rodent models.
11:30-11:40: RP10 Si Yuen Lee: Development of glioblastoma microenvironment using 3D printed polysaccharide bioinks for an in-vitro tumour model.
11:40-11:50: RP11 Ellen Bamberg: Obesity-driven changes in breast extracellular matrix exhibit a pro-angiogenic phenotype.
11:50-12:00: RP12 Giusy Di Conza: Autotaxin targeting in metastatic PDAC: preclinical and preliminary clinical data.

11:00-12:00
Rapid Oral Session 3 (Pjerrot)

Chair: Thomas Cox

11:00-11:10: RP13 Thomai Tsapanou-Katranara: Immune-cell specific biomarker of early intestinal inflammation: HNE degraded fragment of type III collagen is elevated in patients with IBD.
11:10-11:20: RP14 Ling Wu: The improvement of bortezomib on cirrhosis and its potential mechanism.
11:20-11:30: RP15 Jie Li: The extracellular matrix turnover profile in eosinophilic esophagitis and eosinophilic gastroenteritis – an exploratory study.
11:30-11:40: RP16 Aurélie Moniot: Intersecting the TSP-1/CD47 axis: a promising strategy for treating ovarian cancer.
11:40-11:50: RP17 Michael Hühn: Arrested development: spatial exploration of divergent paths of alveolar regeneration in the bleomycin mouse model versus human lung fibrosis.
11:50-12:00: RP18 Christophe Roubeix: Neovascular age-related macular degeneration-associated fibrosis characterization and in vitro modelization.
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12:00-13:45
Lunch and Exhibition

12:30-13:30
Industry-Sponsored Symposium: Organ Fibrosis: Key Differences and Common Denominators (Harlekin)

Chair: Kim Henriksen

12:30-12:45: Federica Genovese, Nordic Bioscience: Kidney/Heart
12:45-13:00: Diana Leeming, Nordic Bioscience: Liver/Lung
13:00-13:15 Joachim Høg Mortensen, Nordic Bioscience: Gut
13:15-13:30 Q&A and Panel Discussion

12:30-13:35
Industry-Sponsored Symposium: Targeting Fibrosis: Changing the ECM II (Columbine)

Chair: Judith Ertle

12:30-12:45: Kjetil Ask, Novartis: Multiomics towards precision medicine for fibrosis.
12:45-13:00: Håkan Wennbo, Takeda
13:00-13:15: Mahru An, Pliant Therapeutics: Bexotegrast attenuates expression of core matrisome components in human fibrotic PCLS.
13:15-13:30: Jannie Sand, Nordic Bioscience: Exploring the relationship between type VI collagen degradation and severe acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: findings from the ECLIPSE study.
13:30-13:35: Q&A
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13:45-15:30
Plenary Session: Tissue Destruction in Inflammatory Diseases (Congress Hall)

Chair: Ali Mobasheri

13:45-14:10: Florian Rieder: Mechanisms of intestinal repair and fibrosis.
14:10-14:25: OP9 Kirsty Houslay: RXC008, a highly potent GI-targeted pan-ROCK inhibitor, is a first-in-class approach to treat fibrostenotic Crohn’s disease.
14:25-14:40: OP10 Marta Alexdóttir: CPa9-HNE: a neutrophil-derived fragment of calprotectin measured in serum can monitor endoscopic and clinical disease activity in ulcerative colitis.
14:40-15:30: Panel Discussion: Tissue Destruction in Systemic Sclerosis with Oliver Distler and Dinesh Khanna: How disease pathogenesis influences proof of concept clinical trial design.
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15:45-16:45
Poster Session 2 (Congress Hall)
(P001-P026, P049-P076, P109-P127)
Categories: Biomarkers, ECM Pharmacology, Models of Fibrosis and Inflammation.
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17:00-17:45
Keynote (Congress Hall)

Chair: Morten Karsdal

17:00-17:45: K2 Gisli Jenkins: The molecular pathology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
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19:00-24:00
Congress Dinner
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Wednesday 19 June

08:00-08:50
Industry-Sponsored Symposium: The Fibro-Inflammatory Axis: Fibroblasts and Tissue Destruction (Harlekin)

Chair: Ali Mobasheri

8:00-8:15: Dana Orange, Rockefeller University: The role of fibroblasts in rheumatoid arthritis flare and pain.
8:15-8:30: Adam Croft, University of Birmingham: Spatial programming of fibroblasts in the inflamed joint.
8:30-8:45: Anne-Christine Bay-Jensen, Nordic Bioscience: Quantifying the fibrotic component in rheumatic diseases.
8:45-8:50: Q&A

8:00-9:10
Industry-Sponsored Symposium: Where Science Meets Business: The Transformative Role of Proteomics in Advancing Precision Medicine (Columbine)

Chair: Morten Karsdal

8:00-8:10: Ruedi Stoffel, Roche: Increasing the odds in biomarker development.     
8:10-8:25: Veronica Miller, University of California, Berkeley: Stable consortia for driving innovation in the public-private interaction.
8:25-8:40: Darcey Black, TherapeutAix: Drug discovery and development in IPF: how can biomarkers support making key decisions?
8:40-8:55: Graham Clarke, AstraZeneca: Extracellular matrix biomarker development in respiratory & immunology: an opportunity for precision medicine.
8:55-9:10: Q&A and Panel Discussion

8:15-8:45
Meet the Experts: The Best ECM Papers Published (Pjerrot)
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9:15-10:50
Plenary Session: Treating the ECM in Lung Diseases (Congress Hall)

Chair: Gisli Jenkins

9:15-9:40: Martin Decaris: Application of molecular imaging, transcriptomics and biomarkers in the development of bexotegrast.
9:40-10:05: Rachel Chambers: Cell signalling and reconfiguration of metabolic networks during fibrogenesis.
10:05-10:20: OP11 Katy Roach: Proteomic evaluation of a human lung model of fibrosis for novel therapeutic target selection.
10:20-10:35: OP12 Iain Stewart: Genetic burden of extracellular matrix components in pulmonary fibrosis.
10:35-10:50: OP13 Paul Yaworsky: Anti-WISP1 (MTX-463) as a novel potential therapy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
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11:00-12:45
Plenary Session: ECM Remodeling in Liver and Heart Diseases (Congress Hall)

Chair: Diana Leeming

11:00-11:25: Aleksander Krag: ECM and the liver: ready for clinical translation?
11:25-11:50: Judith Ertle: Assessment of fibrosis in the liver – MASH and beyond.
11:50-12:15: Faiez Zannad: Clinical characterization of ECM related mechanisms in cardiovascular disease and therapy.
12:15-12:30: OP14 Erik Tillman: EFX improved biomarkers of fibrogenesis-to-fibrolysis balance consistent with a shift to beneficial ECM remodeling in patients with F2-F3 MASH.
12:30-12:45: OP15 Clara Laursen: Increased collagen type VI formation is associated with the risk of experiencing major adverse cardiovascular events in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
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12:45-13:15
Lunch and Exhibition
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13:15-14:30
Closing Session: Keynote, Congress Summary and Abstract Awards (Congress Hall)

Chair: Morten Karsdal

13:15-14:00: K3 Detlef Schuppan: Translational approaches (ECM-related) to reverse liver fibrosis and liver cancer.
14:00-14:30: Congress Summary and Abstract Awards
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