Pre-Conference Workshop Day - Tuesday November 4, 2025
8:00 am Check-In & Coffee
9:00 am Workshop A: Narrowing the Translatability Gap
Overcoming Species-Specific Limitations in Preclinical Models for Human Disease
Synopsis
One of the greatest challenges in developing inflammasome-targeted therapies is the lack of preclinical models that accurately reflect the complexity of human inflammasome biology. Murine models, while widely used, often fail to capture key species-specific differences in the multi-protein complex components such as NLRP1 and CARD8, as well as the differential regulation of caspases and downstream products.
Engage in this dynamic 3-hour workshop and take part in the discussion on:
- Evaluating the limitations of mouse models in reflecting human inflammasome activity and disease progression
- Investigating the impact of cell type, tissue microenvironment, and activation thresholds on human inflammasome responses
- Utilizing iPSC-derived macrophages and microglia to create human-reliant in vitro models of inflammasome activity
- Establishing reproducible, standardized models such as organoids that can accurately predict clinical outcomes for inflammasome therapies
12:00 pm Lunch Break & Networking
1:00 pm Workshop B: Establishing the Correct Endpoints
Highlighting the Bottlenecks & Solutions for Inflammasome Target Indication Assessment
Synopsis
Currently, biomarkers in inflammasome research do not reliably indicate how or whether a target contributes to a specific disease pathway. From neurological diseases to metabolic disorders, there have been cytokine-based readouts that lack specificity, and the mechanistic link between biomarker presence and disease
progression remains unclear.
Join this comprehensive 3-hour workshop and take part in the discussion on:
- Uncovering the limitations of current biomarker strategies in inflammasome research to focus on the gap between biomarker detection and validated target contribution
- Examining the specific case of NLRP3 to evaluate which biomarkers have been historically used and what they are measuring to understand how they fall short in providing disease-specific insights
- Reaching beyond research efforts in cytokines such as IL-1B and IL-18 to identify more precise, pathway-relevant biomarkers
- Brainstorming integrative omics approaches and translational techniques aimed at refining biomarker selection to better support drug development and patient stratification