Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s 2nd Annual
Advances in Immunoengineering
Engineering Smarter Immune Systems, Inside and Out
18 November 2026
Advances in Immunoengineering will highlight engineering strategies to overcome resistance and extend the reach of immunotherapy. The program covers in vivo immune engineering, armoured and logic-gated CAR platforms, and synthetic circuits that enhance specificity and persistence while reducing toxicity. Delegates will see how AI and machine learning are being deployed to discover new targets, design improved CAR and engager formats, and optimise combination immunotherapies.
Coverage will include, but is not limited to:
OVERCOMING RESISTANCE AND T CELL EXHAUSTION
- Mapping TME resistance mechanisms
- Microbiome as a modulator of immunotherapy response
- Overcoming CAR-T exhaustion in solid tumours
- Translating oncology CAR-T engineering principles to B cell and plasma-cell targeting
- Combining immunotherapy with radiotherapy, STING agonists, or oncolytic viruses—shifting from immune escape to immune control
- Oncolytic viruses as combination immunotherapy partners: arming OVs with cytokines, checkpoint inhibitors, or bispecific T cell engagers
in vivo ENGINEERING OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM: CAR-T AND BEYOND
- Engineering strategies to improve specificity and reduce off-target toxicity of in vivo immune engineering
- LNP-mRNA delivery for in vivo CAR-T programming
- RNA-delivered cytokine payloads, mRNA-encoded TCEs, and synthetic receptor circuits
NEXT-GENERATION CAR-T PLATFORMS: ARMOURED CONSTRUCTS, LOGIC GATES, SWITCHABLE
- Logic-gated CAR systems—reducing on-target/off-tumour toxicity and addressing tumour antigen heterogeneity
- Armoured and “fourth-generation” CAR-T cells
- Modular and switchable CAR platforms: SUPRA-CAR, split-CAR, and universal adaptor systems
AI/ML TO ACCELERATE NEXT-GENERATION IMMUNOTHERAPY ENGINEERING
- Genome-scale screening and AI-driven target discovery for immunotherapies
- Using AI/ML to identify novel MOA and optimise combination strategies
- Computational engineering of antibody domains, TCE affinity and CAR designs to improve safety, persistence and stability
The deadline for priority consideration is 9 April 2026.
All 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: