SaxoCell Conference
Founding Edition
From Lab to Life: Advancing Cell and Gene Therapies Together
When:
Tuesday June 2nd to
Wednesday June 3rd 2026
Where:
Penck Hotel Dresden
Ostra-Allee 33
01067 Dresden
We are currently facing some technical difficulties with our SaxoCell website, so this is the alternate official page for the time being.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. You can reach us using this email: info@saxocell.de
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 5.15 pm | Welcome Address |
| 6.00 – 6.30 pm | Welcome by the moderator Isabel Werdin |
| A welcome from BMFTR • Dr. Ralf Gebel (Head of the sub-department “Innovative Ecosystems” at the BMFTR) | |
| A welcome from Saxony • Alexander Dierks (President of the Saxon State Parliament) • Prof. Dr. Heike Graßmann (State Secretary at the SMWK) | |
| 6.30 pm | Opening of the dinner buffet |
| 7.00 – 8.30 pm | Dinner Key Notes |
| Lorenz Mayr, Future Vision and Trends in Cell and Gene Therapy | |
| Verena Lütschg, Technology on the rise: Innovation requires enthusiasm | |
| 9.00 – 9. 10 pm | Felix Lansing, SaxoCell Innovation Spotlight – Seamless Therapeutics |
| End at 10 pm | Get-together |
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8.15 am | Registration & coffee |
| 9.00 – 9.15 am | Welcome by the SaxoCell speakers Ulrike Köhl and Frank Buchholz |
| 9.15 – 10.30 am | Session 1: Cell and Gene therapy in oncology |
| Marcela V. Maus, New insights into CAR T cells | |
| Katrin Wetzko, TCRs/TILs in solid tumors – state of the art | |
| Ulrike Weirauch, Digital Molecular Medicine Approaches for Immunomonitoring Strategy Development and Improvement of Patient Care in Engineered Adoptive Cell Therapy | |
| Xiaohan Liang, Optimizing Cell and Gene Therapy Workflows with High-Performance Proteins and Antibodies | |
| Coffee Break | |
| 10.50 – 11.50 am | Session 2: Cell and Gene therapy in autoimmune diseases and degeneration |
| Dimitrios Mougiakakos, CAR T cells in autoimmune diseases | |
| Fabian Müller, CD19 CAR T cells in autoimmune disease – from deep B cell depletion to lasting remission | |
| Mike Karl, Human preclinical modeling of cell therapies for vision loss | |
| Lunch Break & Poster session | |
| 12.50 – 1.15 pm | Pitch sessions for pre-seeds and start-ups |
| TQ Therapeutics, Christin Zündorf | |
| NanoVation Therapeutics, Dominik Witzigmann | |
| Cancilico, Jan Moritz Middeke | |
| BioThrust, Patrick Bongartz | |
| Green Elephant Biotech, Katharina Günther | |
| SMART-NK Therapeutics, Jiri Eitler | |
| Coffee Break | |
| 1.40 – 2.50 pm | Session 3: Delivery Technologies and new trends in Genetic Engineering |
| Kathrin Schumann, Strategies for Safer CRISPR-Engineering of Human T Cells | |
| Ernst Wagner, Chamaeleon Nanocarriers for RNA Delivery and Genome Editing | |
| Julian Jude, Writing The Future – From DNA to Ai | |
| Martin Rabel, A next-generation ionizable lipid LNP platform enabling efficient in vivo CAR T cell generation in mice and NHP using passive and active immune cell targeting strategies | |
| Coffee Break | |
| 3.20 – 5.40 pm | Session 4: Challenges towards clinical translation and financing |
| Marcelina Bugaj, The Therapy Begins Before the Infusion: A Patient Perspective on Anti-CD19 CAR-T Cell Therapy in ACPA- Positive Rheumatoid Arthritis | |
| Christoph Conrad, Regulation as a Compass – Learnings from Two Years of Supporting Academic Translation | |
| Rebekka Wehner, Clinical relevance of multiplex IHC-based characterization of the tumor immune landscape | |
| Andreas Traube, From craft to scale – Matrix Manufacturing for Cost-Efficient Cell and Gene Therapy Production | |
| Tomasz Baran, Perinatal Stem Cell Banking as a Platform for ATMP Development | |
| Ion Tcacencu, Regulatory Roadmaps to Translate Academic ATMP Innovations into Clinic | |
| Panel Discussion „How to Overcome the Valley of Death in CGT Development?” – Martin Bornhäuser, Regina Demlová, Ralf Huss, Marion Jung | |
| 5.40 – 6.00 pm | Poster and Pitch Award ceremony & Closing remarks |
| 6.00 – 8.00 pm | Closing Reception & Networking |
Speakers
Andeas Traube
Dr. Christoph Conrad
Prof. Dr. Dimitros Mougiakakos
Prof. Dr. Ernst Wagner
Prof. Dr. Fabian Müller
Dr. Felix Lansing
Dr. Ion Tcacencu
Dr. Julian Jude
Prof. Dr. Kathrin Schumann
Dr. Katrin Wetzko
Lorenz Mayr
Prof. Dr. Marcela Maus
Marcelina Bugaj
Dr. Martin Rabel
Prof. Dr. Mike Karl
Dr. Rebekka Wehner
Tomasz Baran
Dr. Ulrike Weirauch
Dr. Verena Lütschg
Dr. Xiaohan Liang
Start up pitches
Dr. Dominik Witzgmann
Christin Zündorf
Dr. Jan Moritz Middeke
Dr. Jiri Eitler
Katharina Günther
Dr. Patrick Bongartz
Panelists
Director of the MK1 Clinic at University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden.
Prof. Dr. Martin Bornhäuser
Dr. Marion Jung
Prof. Dr. Ralf Huss
Prof. Dr. Regina Demlová
Moderator
Isabel Werdin
Visibility Partners
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the conference taking place and what time does it start and end?
The conference is scheduled for June 02, 2026. The program is set to begin at 6 pm, with registration opening at 5.15 pm. The conference program concludes at 6.00 pm on June 3rd.
Where is the SaxoCell Conference 2026 taking place?
Penck Hotel Dresden
Ostra-Allee 33
01067 Dresden, Germany
Completely renovated in 2019, this design hotel in a central city location is named after Dresden-born artist A.R. Penck. Over 700 original works can be found throughout the hotel. Penck himself created most of the works on display for the hotel. Be fascinated by Penck’s incredible use of form and colour and enjoy your stay surrounded by the newly curated works of Ralf Winkler, as Penck was known by his real name. Art lovers will not only get their money’s worth in the centrally located design hotel itself, but also in the museums of the Dresden State Art Collections in the old town, which are within walking distance.
How to get there?
You can use various modes of public transportation. The venue is centrally located in Dresden, making it easily accessible. It is a 10-15 min walk to the famous Dresdner Zwinger, Semper Oper and Frauenkirche.
By Train: Bahnhof Dresden Mitte – 0,3km, S1, S2, RE, RE15, RE18, RE50
By Tram: Stop at Dresden Kongresszentrum, Tram 4, 6, 10, 11
By plane: Airport Dresden International (DRS) – 9,5km
Is parking available?
The hotel has 70 parking spaces in the underground car park, which can be used for €20 per day. Limited parking is also available on the street for a parking fee.
Will catering be provided?
Yes! On Day 1, we have the Opening Dinner and during Day 2, lunch along with drinks and light refreshments available throughout the day will be provided.
Is there a conference hotel?
There is a limited number of single and double rooms available directly at the Penck Hotel (with special rates). Please book your rooms as soon as possible under key word “SAXOCELL”, as any unused rooms will be cancelled at least 4 weeks before the conference. Bookings must be made individually and hotel costs are to be paid by each guest.
For all information about the hotel and booking go directly to: Penck Hotel Dresden im Stadtzentrum. 4* Design Hotel in der Innenstadt. Individual, free cancellation of a room that has already been reserved is possible up to 7 days prior to arrival, in accordance with the hotel’s terms and conditions. Later cancellations will be charged at 90% of the room price.
What language is the conference in?
The program of the conference will be conducted in English.
Will it be possible to purchase a ticket on site?
If you wish to attend the SaxoCell Conference 2026, you need to purchase tickets in advance. Tickets can be acquired through our website.
I have purchased a ticket and will not be able to come. Can I get a refund?
Unfortunately, refunds are not possible. We would be pleased to transfer your ticket to a colleague, though. Please also mind our General Terms and Conditions you accepted during the ticket booking process.
Will there be an online stream of the conference?
At this time, we are not considering a live stream for the event.
German-American alliance for future medicine: SaxoCell e.V. launches strategic cooperation with the Mark Foundation
Funding: BMBF INITIATES: RESEARCH WITH NORTH AMERICA
Title: SMAC-GT: SaxoCell and Mark Foundation Alliance for Cell and Gene Therapy – SaxoCell & Mark Foundation Partnership
As part of the SMAC-GT project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space, SaxoCell e.V. is expanding its international collaboration with the renowned Mark Foundation for Cancer Research. The aim of the collaboration is to provide strategic impetus for the further development of modern cell and gene therapies and to strengthen transatlantic research networks in the long term.
The first highlight of this new partnership is a trip to New York by a high-ranking delegation from SaxoCell e.V.: Martin Bornhäuser, Frank Buchholz, Ulrike Köhl, Maren Henneken, and Lorenz Mayr will hold an intensive workshop there on January 9 with the Mark Foundation to discuss their joint research agenda. This meeting marks the starting point for deeper cooperation, which has already been prepared in several online sessions.
Further workshops and symposia are planned in the USA and Germany in the coming project phases to consolidate and expand cooperation. In addition, key international conferences such as the ASH Annual Meeting (January 2026) and the ASGCT Annual Meeting (May 2027) will be used for this purpose. On the German side, the SaxoCell Conference in June 2026 offers an ideal platform for exchange with American partners.
These targeted meetings and networking formats are intended to attract new cooperation partners and further strengthen the scientific basis for future innovations in cell and gene therapy.
About the Mark Foundation
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research is an independent US foundation based in New York that is passionately committed to funding groundbreaking cancer research.
Its approach is flexible, risk-taking, and impact-driven: it supports both basic and translational research—from individual scientists to interdisciplinary teams to early-stage startups—with grants and venture investments.
Since its foundation in 2017, the Mark Foundation has awarded over $275 million to more than 110 institutions in approximately 18 countries. Its programs range from ASPIRE Awards for high-risk/high-reward projects to drug discovery funding and long-term team science projects.
With this strong international orientation and a clear focus on innovation, the Mark Foundation accelerates the development of new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches, thereby shortening the path from idea to application.
Home | The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research
SaxoCell (SC) delegation at the Mark Foundation (MF) in New York. From left to right: Becky Bish (MF), Martin Bornhäuser (SC), Frank Buchholtz (SC), Lorenz Mayr (SC), Ulrike Köhl (SC), Maren Henneken (SC), Ryan Schoenfeld (MF), and Raymond N. DuBois (MF).