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SOCIETY FOR IMAGE-GUIDED NEUROINTERVENTIONS (SIGN) AND
CHILDREN'S BRAIN TUMOR DRUG DELIVERY CONSORTIUM (CBTDDC)
Johns Hopkins at Mt. Washington Conference Center, Pullen Plaza room
DAY 1. June 10, 2019 Baltimore, MD

7:30 - 8:00      Registration and continental breakfast

 

Mini Symposium 1  Advances in Device Navigation
Chair: Paul Bottomley (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA)
         Chengyan Chu (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA)

Various devices have been developed to assist in image guided neurointervention. This minisymposium will cover strategies that are exploited to improve precision and safety of navigating devices towards selected target in the brain, including parenchymal needle placement or guiding endovascular catheters.

8:00 - 8:15      Invited: Zhengchu Tan, Imperial College London, UK

                       EDEN2020: A Bio-Inspired Robotic Platform for Neurosurgery

8:15 - 8:30      Invited: Iulian Iordachita, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

                       Shape Sensing Based Navigation of Flexible Medical Devices

8:30 - 8:45      Invited: Steve Hetts, University of California at San Francisco, CA, USA

                       Endovascular Interventional MRI: Catheter Development and Navigation

8:45 - 9:00      Invited: Parag Karmarkar, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

                       Endovascular Devices for MRI Guided Interventions,

9:00 - 9:15      Coffee break and discussion

 

Mini Symposium 2  Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality
Chair: Piotr Dziedzic (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA)
          Rohit Srivastava (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA)

Recently there has been an explosion of machine learning applications in biomedicine. Imaging sciences seem to particularly benefit from this development and the application of these technologies is still in its infancy. This minisymposium will focus on the latest advances as applied to imaging drug delivery to the brain.  

  9:15 - 9:30      Invited: Brian Kim, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

                         Eye Surgery Automation Through Visual Servoing Based on Machine Learning by Demonstration

  9:30 - 9:45      Invited: Ciprian Ionita, University of Buffalo, NY, USA

                         Machine Learning to Guide Endovascular Treatment

9:45 - 10:00      Invited: Meiyappan Solaiyappan, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

                         Stereoscopic 3D - A Game-Changer in High Precision Visualization

  10:00 - 10:15      Coffee break and discussion

Opening Ceremony

10:15 - 10:30      President of SIGN - Miroslaw Janowski, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

                             Chairman of CBTDDC - David Walker, University of Nottingham, UK

 

10:30 - 11:00      Keynote address: Prof. David Walker

                          Why Re-Engineer Drug Delivery to CNS Tumours?

David Walker is a Professor of Pediatric Oncology in the Division of Child Health Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical School, University of Nottingham and Director of the Children’s Brain Tumour Drug Delivery Consortium. He is a world-renowned expert in the treatment of pediatric brain tumors and who shares the mission of this conference, making him an ideal candidate to deliver the key note address.

Live Webinar 1   Therapeutic Agent Delivery to the Brain: Clinical Perspectives Chair: Monica Pearl (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA)
          David Walker (University of Nottingham, UK)

In order to maintain a focused, intimate setting conducive to an open exchange of ideas and networking, the SIGN conference is organized to accommodate approximately 100 participants at the event. After feedback from colleagues in academia, small business and industry, we anticipate a broad global interest in our meeting and thus we plan to broadcast key components of the meeting. The webinar timing at 11:00 EST is to accommodate participants from both the US and Europe.

11:00 - 11:20      Invited: Graeme Woodworth, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA

                           Sound Power: Using Focused Ultrasound to Unlock Barriers to Drug Delivery in the Brain

11:20 - 11:40      Invited: Piotr Walczak, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

                           Imaging Tools to Improve Precision and Reproducibility of Intra-Arterial Drug Delivery

11:40 - 12:00      Invited: Steven Gill, North Bristol NHS Trust, UK

                           A System for Intermittent Convection Enhanced Drug Delivery to the Brain

12:00 - 13:00      Panel discussion with questions from the webinar

  13:00 - 14:00      Lunch time

                             Lunch time presentation:

                             Invited: Codrin Lungu

                             Program Director, Division of Clinical Research,
                             National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, USA

                             Funding Mechanisms for Training and Early Career

                             Invited: Chris H. Boshoff

                             Program Director, Division of Translational Research,
                             National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, USA

                             Translational Research Funding for Biologics at NINDS

Mini Symposium 3  Intra-arterial approaches for treatment of stroke
Chair: Todd Abruzzo (Phoenix Children's Hospital, AZ, USA)
          Anna Jablonska (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA)

Endovascular mechanical thrombectomy has revolutionized the treatment of stroke over the last several years resulting in improved outcomes. This technology also opens up new opportunities for adjuvant treatment including stem cell-based therapies, local hypothermia and beyond. This session will focus on various approaches exploiting the intra-arterial route for the benefit of stroke patients.

14:00 - 14:15      Invited: Ming Ren, Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing, China

                           Selective Intraarterial Hypothermia Treatment for Acute Ischemia Stroke

14:15 - 14:30      Invited: Dileep Yavagal, University of Miami, FL, USA

                           Imaging to Determine Dosing in Intra-arterial Cell Delivery for Stroke

14:30 - 14:45      Invited: Michael E. Maniskas, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

                           Instilling Healing: Intra-arterial Pharmacotherapy as an Adjunct to Thrombectomy in Ischemic Stroke

14:45 - 15:00      Invited: Shen Li, Dalian Hospital, Dalian, China

                           Acute Ischemic Stroke in Dalian, China

15:00 - 15:15      Invited: Paulo Henrique Rosado de Castro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil                                                     Imaging of Intravascular Cell Therapies for Stroke

15:15 - 15:30      Coffee break

Mini Symposium 4  Precise delivery to the brain through image-guidance
Chair: Ali Fatemi (Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA)
         Anna Andrzejewska (Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, PAS, Warsaw, Poland)

Direct targeting of therapeutics via the intra-arterial route is attractive for many neurological diseases. Neoplastic disease is a leading target; however, additional applications extend even beyond that and imaging plays a critical role in improving precision. These topics will be covered by the speakers of this symposium.

15:30 - 15:45      Invited: Dr. Monica Pearl, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

                           Intraarterial Chemotherapy For Brainstem Tumors 

15:45 - 16:00      Invited: Dr. Michal Zawadzki, CCHMI, Warsaw, Poland

                           First-in-Human MRI-Guided Neuroendovascular Interventions

16:00 - 16:15      Invited: Ms. Elizabeth Vasconcellos, BrainLab, NY, USA

                           Multifaceted Approach to Optimizing Drug Delivery to the Brain

16:15 - 16:30      Coffee break

 

16:30 - 18:30      Early Stage Investigator Awards, rapid fire session and poster session.

                           See more information below

Early Stage Investigator Awards (ESIA) and Rapid Fire Session - Short Oral Presentation and Electronic Poster Session
Chair: Miroslaw Janowski (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA)
          Piotr Walczak (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA)

Early Stage Investigator Award

First place           Dominika Golubczyk, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland

                           Real-time MRI-guided endovascular model of cerebral ischemia in swine 

Second place      Shreyas Kuddannaya, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

                           Tracking Post-Transplantation Survival of Hydrogel-ScaffoldedGlial-Restriced Progenitors

Third place          Raleigh Linville, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

                           Modeling Hyperosmotic and Peptide-Induced Blood-Brain Barrier Opening within Tissue-         Engineered in vitro Human Brain Microvessels

Rapid Fire Session

Rohit K Srivastava, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

Biodistribution of Transplanted Glial Progenitors in 3D Printed Model of Brain Ventricular System 

Kaja Kasarełło, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland

Antioxidant Mechanism of Action of Dimethyl Fumarate in Experimental AllergicEncephalomyelitis in Rats

Wei Zhu, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

Monitoring the Degradation of Implanted Hydrogels in the Brain using CEST MRI

Xiaoyan Lan, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

Feasibility Study of Ultra-High Dose Fractionated Radiation Therapy for Glioblastoma 

Chengyan Chu, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

Optimization of Osmotic Blood-Brain Barrier Opening to Enable Intravital Microscopy Studies on Drug Delivery in a Mouse Cerebral Cortex

Anna Jablonska, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

Fluorine Nanoemulsion for Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Injectable Tissue Composites to Repair Intervertebral Discs

Joanna Kwiatkowska, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland

Histological Assessment of Neuroinflammation after Ischemic Brain Injury in Swine EndovascularStroke Model 

Lukasz Kalkowski, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland

Intraarterial Cell Delivery with MRI Guidance as a Platform for Stem Cell Therapy in Large Animal Model

Bela Turk, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA

Magnetization Transfer Imaging in the Adrenomyeloneuropathy Spinal Cord Shows Longitudinal Suitability as a Potential Biomarker for Clinical Trial

Mitsuyoshi Watanabe, University of Miami, FL, USA

Maximum Tolerated Dose of Exosomes Derived from Mesenchymal Stem Cells via Intra-arterial Dosing in a Rat Stroke Model

Anna Andrzejewska, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, PAS, Warsaw, Poland

Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as Optimal Label for Genetically Engineered Mesenchymal Stem Cell in Term of Their Visualisation and Homing Assessment After Transplantation

Sylwia Dabrowska, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, PAS, Warsaw, Poland

Imaging of Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Using Fluorescent and Magnetic Labels; in vitro and in vivo Studies

Luiza Stanaszek, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, PAS, Warsaw, Poland

Gellan Gum (GG) Based Hydrogels as Potential Scaffolds for Intrathecal Stem Cell Delivery in Demyelination Models of Mice 

Piotr Rogujski, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, PAS, Warsaw, Poland

Alginate-Based hydrogels Used as Potential Scaffolds for Mesenchymal Stem Cells Delivery inShiverer Mice Therapy

Larissa Jank, University of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany

Intraarterial P2X7 Nanobodies in Stroke

18:30 - 19:00      SIGN business meeting

 

19:30 - 23:00      Networking event

                           Sotto Sopra

                            https://www.sottosoprainc.com

DAY 2. June 11, 2019 Baltimore, MD

7:30 - 8:15      Registration and continental breakfast

 

Mini Symposium 5  Advances in neuroimaging
Chair: Peter van Zijl (Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA)
         Bela Turk (Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA)

Different modalities applicable to neuroimaging will be a central element of this mini symposium. This will include magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic particle imaging, PET and optical imaging. Particular emphasis will be made on modalities and techniques that aid in improving precision of drug delivery to the brain.

8:00 - 8:15      Invited: Peter Ludewig, University of Hamburg-Eppendorff, Germany

                       Magnetic Particle Imaging for Neurological Applications

8:15 - 8:30      Invited: Michael McMahon, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA

                       Organic Theranostic Agents for Interventional MRI,

8:30 - 8:45      Invited: Marcel Daadi, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA

                       Interventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Transplantation of Neural Stem Cell                           Progeny Into the Brain

8:45 - 9:00      Invited: Wojciech Lesniak, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

                       Radiolabeling of Therapeutic Agents and PET Imaging for Precision Medicine,

9:15 - 9:30      Invited: Qin Qin, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

                       Novel Techniques for Non-Contrast Cerebral MR Angiography

Mini Symposium 6  Preclinical research on animal models
Chair: Jeff Bulte (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA)
         Larissa Jank (University of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany)

Animal models of neurological disease with improved clinical relevance. 

Rodent disease models to date dominate preclinical research, however, considering the size of the human brain, these models lack clinical relevance. We will discuss the need and opportunities for introducing large animal models including swine and dogs or companion animals with naturally occurring neurological diseases.

    9:30 - 9:45      Invited: Johannes Boltze, University of Warwick, UK

                           Stroke Modelling and Neuroimaging in Sheep

  9:45 - 10:00      Invited: Rebecca Krimins, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

                           Learning from Brain Cancer in Pets

10:00 - 10:15      Invited: Yajie (Kevin) Liang, Janelia Research Campus, HHMI, Ashburn, VA, USA

                           Intravital Two-Photon Microscopy: State-of-The-Art And Prospects for Clinical Applications 

  10:15 - 10:30      Coffee break and discussion

10:30 - 11:00      Keynote address: Prof. Sean Savitz (University of Texas, Houston, TX, USA)

                           NeuroImaging: Transforming Personalized Medicine for Neurological Disorders

Sean Savitz is a Professor of Neurology and Director of Stroke Institute at University of Texas. He is a world-renowned expert in the treatment of neurological disorders. He focuses on stroke, a medical field which has greatly benefitted recently from advanced imaging to optimally select patients for neurointerventions; therefore, he is well suited to provide a perspective on clinical needs to further advance image guided neurointerventions.

Live Webinar 2   Technological Advances
Chair: Miroslaw Janowski (JHU, Baltimore, MD, USA)
          Jaroslaw Maciaczyk (University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand)

This second webinar will continue on the topic of new technologies that are critical for successful drug delivery to the brain.

11:00 - 11:20      Invited: Edward A. Neuwelt, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, USA

                           The Blood-Brain Barrier in Brain Tumor Therapy: Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy

11:20 - 11:40      Invited: Henry Brem, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA 

                           Novel Approaches to Therapeutic Brain Delivery

11:40 - 12:00      Invited: Mark Souweidane, Weill Cornell, New York, NY, USA

                           Strategies to Overcome Barriers of Convection Enhanced Delivery (CED) for CNS Tumors

12:00 - 13:00      Panel discussion

  13:00 - 14:00      Lunch time

Mini Symposium 7  Biomaterials and Nanotechnologies
Chair: Jordan J. Green (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA)
        Xiaoyan Lan (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA)

Advances in material sciences offer practically unlimited access to biomaterials with customized biomechanical properties and biological activity. These biomaterials can be used for slow release of drugs, structural support or a favorable milieu for transplanted stem cells.

14:00 - 14:15      Invited: Marcin Kortylewski, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA

                           Optimizing TLR9-Targeted STAT3 Inhibitors for Glioma Immunotherapy

14:15 - 14:30      Invited: Michel Modo, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA

                           Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Guidance and Monitoring of Biomaterial Implantation                                           Into the Stroke-Damaged Brain

14:30 - 14:45      Invited: Ruman Rahman, University of Nottingham, UK

                           A Neurosurgically-Applied Thermo-Sensitive Paste For the Delivery of
                           Brain Tumour Chemo- and Nano-Therapies

14:45 - 15:00      Invited: Jaroslaw Maciaczyk, Univerity of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

                           Clipping the Wings - Cancer Stem Cells and Challenges of Image-Guided Therapy of Glioblastoma

15:00 - 15:15      Invited: Khuloud Al-Jamal, King's College, London

                           Overcoming the Blood Brain Barrier using Nanomedicines

15:15 - 15:30      Invited: Webster Kadzatsa, University of Zimbabwe, Harrare, Zimbabwe

                           From Roentgen and Sklodowska-Curie to Cure of Brain Tumors, the Sign of Progress Now Showing

15:30 - 15:45      Coffee break

Mini Symposium 8  Focused ultrasound
Chair: Peter Searson (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA)
          Wei Zhu (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA)

Focused ultrasound is a technology that is making significant strides towards clinical applications. After spectacular success with treatment of essential tremor, it is now entering the clinical realm for spatially precise opening of the blood brain barrier to improve delivery of therapeutic agents. It also facilitates removal of potentially toxic agents such as amyloid, opening a new perspective for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

15:45 - 16:00      Invited: Victor Frenkel, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA

                           The Paradox of Ultrasound Effects on The Extracellular Space: How Expanding These Regions                                 Can Enhance Both Local and Systemic Delivery

16:00 - 16:15      Invited: Hong Chen, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA

                           Image-Guided Focused Ultrasound-Mediated Brain Drug Delivery

16:15 - 16:30      Invited: Raag Airan, Stanford University, CA, USA

                           Targeted Drug Delivery to the Nervous System with Ultrasonic Drug Uncaging

16:30 - 16:45      Invited: Costas Arvanitis,Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

                           Controlled Drug Delivery and Release to Brain Tumors with Focused Ultrasound

16:45 - 17:00      Invited: Rao Gulapalli, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA

                           Exploring Strategies to Improve Workflow Associated with MRgFUS

Closing Ceremony and Awards

17:00 - 17:15      President of SIGN - Miroslaw Janowski, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

                             Chairman of CBTDDC - David Walker, University of Nottingham, UK

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