Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s 16th Annual
Antibodies for Cancer Therapy
Driving Breakthrough Therapies
May 11-12, 2026
Cambridge Healthtech Institute's 16th annual Antibodies for Cancer Therapy conference explores the evolving role of antibody engineering in driving breakthroughs against cancer, with a focus on T cell engagers, bispecifics, and novel scaffolds that are expanding therapeutic potential. Sessions will highlight combination approaches with TCEs, checkpoint inhibitors, ADCs, and cytokines, alongside dual-targeting strategies and conditional/masking approaches to improve specificity and enhance safety, positioning antibodies and antibody-based therapies at the forefront of next-generation oncology.
Coverage will include, but is not limited to:
COMBINATION APPROACHES WITH TCEs—IMPROVING EFFICACY AND WIDENING INDICATION SPACE
- Combination with standard of care (chemotherapy, targeted therapies)
- Combination with ADCs
- Will the combination with checkpoint inhibitors help?
- Will costimulatory agonists help (CD28, 4-1BB, CD2)?
- Will cytokines help?
- Will epitope spreading help?
- Combination with cancer vaccines
- Combination with other immune cells, like NK cells (NKG2D) or macrophages (CD47)
DUAL TARGETING STRATEGIES—COMPARISON OF BISPECIFICS VS. COMBINATION
- Dual or triple targeting (example of GPRC5D/BCMA combo)
- Dual-blockade: eg PDL1xVEGF
- Checkpoint x checkpoint
- Checkpoint x tumor antigen
- Tumor antigen x tumor antigen
- Non-immune Targets: e.g., GITR×another checkpoint or PD-L1/TGF-β
- Combination with effector cell agonists for dual activation pathways
MASKING/CONDITIONAL ANTIBODIES/MOLECULAR SWITCHES—IMPROVING SPECIFICITY AND REDUCING
TOXICITY
- Increasing target space by conditional approaches, pMHC targeting
- Protease-mediated activation by removing mask
- ATP-activatable antibodies
- Probody-Drug Conjugates
NOVEL FORMATS AND ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES
- CAR-T cell delivered effector scFvs to combat heterogeneity such as in GBM and PCA
- Designing novel scaffolds beyond IgG: DARPins, affibodies, and miniproteins
EMERGING FRONTIERS AND DELIVERY METHODS
- Oral and alternative delivery formats for antibodies
- mRNA-Encoded Antibodies
The deadline for priority consideration is October 17, 2025.
AAll proposals are subject to review by session chairpersons and/or the Scientific Advisory Committee to ensure the overall quality of the conference program. Additionally, as per Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s policy, a select number of vendors and consultants who provide products and services will be offered opportunities for podium presentation slots based on a variety of Corporate Sponsorships.
Opportunities for Participation: