DocTIS’ research on combination therapies for IMIDs featured at Immunology 2025
The DocTIS project took centre stage at Immunology 2025, the largest global gathering dedicated exclusively to immunology, held from 3–7 May 2025 in Honolulu, Hawaii. With nearly 1,000 poster presentations and over 800 speakers across 100 sessions, the conference brought together leading experts from around the world.
Dr. Antonio (Toni) Julià, head of the Rheumatology Research Group at Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR), represented DocTIS with an oral presentation in the “Systems Approaches to Health and Disease” session. His talk, “Uncovering combination therapies for Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases through systems biology analysis on longitudinal patient data”, presented key advances made by the DocTIS consortium in identifying effective drug combinations for IMIDs through the use of systems biology and transcriptomic data. The session drew around 80 attendees, reflecting strong interest in translational approaches within the broader immunology community.
The presentation was well received, particularly for its translational relevance, a distinguishing feature in a conference where many contributions focused on basic research. Also, DocTIS’s single-cell dataset was noted for its large scale, surpassing many other studies in both patient and cell numbers.
Advancing IMID research with combination therapies and systems biology
Following the event, Toni Julià shared several insights that reflect both the scientific impact and the broader context of the meeting:
“Attendees appreciated the translational value of our work, which clearly stood out in a program dominated by basic research. Many asked practical questions about how our combination therapies could be implemented clinically”.
“Our single-cell RNA-seq dataset really set us apart. In terms of both patient numbers and cellular data, it exceeded most of what was presented”.
“It was also valuable to see new findings on the immunological basis of the diseases we’re working on in DocTIS. For example, a new mechanism in rheumatoid arthritis involving CD8+ T cells and B cells linked to citrullinated peptides was particularly relevant”.
“In the therapeutic field, there was a strong focus on cancer immunotherapy this year, especially checkpoint inhibitors, but fewer studies on therapies for autoimmune diseases. That reinforces the importance of the work we’re doing in DocTIS”.
“I was especially intrigued by new analytical tools like the Immunogram from Mark Davis’ group at Stanford. Using RNA-seq data to map each individual’s immune status has strong potential for clinical use, and aligns closely with what we’re developing in DocTIS”.
Despite fewer international contributions this year, Immunology 2025 remains the foremost immunology conference globally, attracting researchers from all over the world. Notable speakers included Shimon Sakaguchi, discoverer of regulatory T cells (Tregs), and Judy Lieberman, a pioneer in pyroptosis research.
DocTIS’s presence at the event underscored the project’s leadership in IMID research and its ongoing commitment to advancing combination therapies to improve patient care for those suffering from chronic autoimmune diseases.
