Please note that the programme (version 15 May) is preliminary and subject to change. 

The pre-conference workshops will take place on Wednesday morning 25 September 2024 from 09.00-12:30 hrs.

The workshops can only be booked in combination with attendance of the Conference. Registration will open on 15 May. Places will be assigned on a first come, first served basis.

 Workshop 1: MRD in ALL

Organisers: Ester Mejstrikova (Prague, CZ) and Michaela Reiterová (Prague, CZ)
Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Max. 20 places.

MRD in ALL is essential tool in monitoring treatment efficacy. Despite its frequent use in the majority of modern treatment protocols several issues remains unresolved and questionable. In BCP ALL regeneration of hematogones hampers sensitivity and interpretation might be subjective. Targeted treatment anti-19, anti-CD20 and anti-CD22 influences regeneration of normal B cell precursors. Newly defined subsets of BCP ALL namely characterised by DUX4 rearrangement frequently undergo lineage switch towards mnocytic lineage and B cell oriented MRD fails in detection of switched blasts. In T ALL we will discuss the role of immunophneptypic heterogeneity in design of T ALL MRD panels. Category of immature T ALLs ("early T cell precursor leukemia") is frequently characterised by germline configuration of TCR genes resulting in unavailability of MRD assessment by molecular techniques and flow cytometry is crucial in this subset. During the workshop we will analyze FCS files of B and T ALL MRD samples. 
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Workshop 2: Extracellular vesicles: welcome to the nano-flow world

Organiser: Alfonso Blanco (Dublin, IE)
Level: to be confirmed. Max. 20 places.

During this workshop, we will explain the technological difficulties of working with extracellular vesicles (EVs), from sample collection, storage and preparation and how they can influence in the final results. We will also cover the technical considerations for the analysis of the EVs as well as what are the best practices to optimize samples and instruments for this analysis. A practical session will take place showing how to perform the instrument set up, data analysis and how to detect some issues such as swarming effect.
The programme will follow soon.

Workshop 3: A practical approach to Immunodeficiency Analysis

Organisers: Fariba Tahami and Martín Pérez-Andrés
Level: Intermediate. Max. 20 places.

The participants will be trained in the following topics: i) screening of immunodeficiencies of the lymphoid system by flow cytometry including: severe and non-severe combined immunodeficiencies, predominantly antibody deficiencies, and disease of immune dysregulation, ii) flow cytometry predictors of complication and short-term survival in CVID, and iii) functional test for validation of monogenic immunodeficiencies. 
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Workshop 4: Panel design and optimisation in standard and spectral flow-cytometry

Organisers: Cristina Teodosio (Salamanca, ES) and Julio Pozo  (Salamanca, ES)
Level: Intermediate. Max. 20 places.

Flow cytometry has grown exponentially in the last decade, with the introduction of instruments able to evaluate more (>20) fluorescent parameters simultaneously, the development of spectral flow cytometry, and the increasing number of (new) fluorochromes. While these developments have allowed for new applications and more flexibility, the process of effective panel design has become increasingly more complex.
During this workshop, we will discuss the technical advances and differences in conventional and spectral flow cytometry, and how to address the panel design for the different platforms. We will also cover strategies for assay optimisation and data troubleshooting and have a guided panel design practical session. 
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