BSHI Conference 2017

BRITISH SOCIETY FOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY
AND IMMUNOGENETICS

28th Annual Conference |3rd - 4th October 2017
Woodland Grange |Leamington Spa

CONFERENCE
PROGRAMME

www.bshiconference.org.uk

Contents

Local Organisers Page 3
Welcome from BSHI Chair Page 4
Welcome from the Local Organising Committee Page 6
BSHI 2017 Sponsors Page 7
Conference Programme Page 8
Speaker Biographies and Abstracts Page 11
Social Programme Page 34
BSHI AGM Agenda Page 35
Workshop Information Page 36
About Leamington Spa Page 37
Conference Information Page 39
Hotel Information Page 41
Thanks Page 42
Exhibition Floor Plan Page 43
Exhibitor and Sponsor Biographies Page 44
Posters 1 - 14 Page 52
Posters 15 - 28 Page 53
Posters 29 - 42 Page 54
Best Abstract Presentations Page 55
Young Scientist Award Page 55
Delegate List Page 56
Notes Page 60

Page 2 of 66

BSHI 2017 Organising Committee

Professor Steven GE Marsh Chairman of the Local Organising
Committee
Anthony Nolan Research Institute, London Local Organising Committee
Local Organising Committee
Dr Paul Brookes Local Organising Committee
Local Organising Committee
Imperial College NHS Trust, London Local Organising Committee
Local Organising Committee
Dr Neema P Mayor Local Organising Committee
Local Organising Committee
Anthony Nolan Research Institute, London

Mr James Robinson

Anthony Nolan Research Institute, London

Dr Deborah Sage

NHSBT-Tooting, London

Dr Olivia Shaw

Viapath, Guy’s Hospital, London

Dr Colin Brown

H&I Laboratory, Colindale, London

Dr Katy Derbyshire

Barts Health NHS Trust, London

Dr Katy Latham

Anthony Nolan Research Institute, London

Page 3 of 66

Welcome to the 28th Annual Conference of the
British Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the 28th BSHI Conference in Leamington Spa. This is the first
conference to be held in an independent venue with a “remote”
organising team, and I would particularly like to thank the organising
committee, chaired by Prof Steven Marsh, and the BSHI Research
Executive, especially Prof David Briggs and Luke Foster for embracing
the change and organising such an excellent programme.

This year, I would particularly like to thank all our esteemed colleagues
who have agreed to form our academic faculty. Prof Dr Ronald Bontrop,
and Prof Peter Parham, will deliver the Festenstein and Terasaki Lectures
this year, and I am sure that you will all make the most of this opportunity
to make our overseas guests welcome in this small corner of England. In
this meeting, Plenary Session I will take us to the frontiers of
transplantation as we know it, with updates including the latest on Tregs
(Prof Giovanna Lombardi), the use of 3D printing (Mr Pankaj Chandak),
and uterine transplantation (Mr Benjamin Jones). New for this year, the
BSHI Debate will compare two of our pioneers from the past: Medawar
and Terasaki. Which of these H&I legends made the greatest
contribution to the understanding of HLA-specific antibodies in
transplantation?

While still on the subject of “H&I legends”, we are delighted to award
three of our BSHI members with honorary membership at this meeting.
Prof John Trowsdale, Dr Cristina Navarrete and Dr Bob Vaughan are all
founder members of BSHI whose support has been a huge benefit to our
society over the years.

These are exciting times in H&I, and the introduction of next generation
sequencing technologies (Plenary Session III) will bring about a step-
change in our understanding of HLA. Many of you have likened the
expanded scope we have with NGS to that when the first molecular
based typing techniques were developed. A wonderful feature of H&I is
that increased understanding in one area inevitably leads to change
elsewhere in the discipline, and we can expect a time of adjustment as
our understanding grows to accommodate the increase in information
available.

Page 4 of 66

If you have suggestions for new kits or reagents, don’t hesitate to use this
opportunity to plant the seed. You never know where it might lead you.
There was much more to Terasaki than just the Terasaki tray, but without
the trays, would he have been great enough to stand as a contestant in
our debate?
This will be my last conference as Chair of BSHI, and I will officially hand
over these duties to Dr Andrea Harmer during our Annual General
Meeting. I have enjoyed the most rewarding three years during my term
of office, and would like to end on a note of thanks to you all for making
the experience so special.

Dr Kay Poulton
Chair of the British Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics

Page 5 of 66

Welcome from the Local Organising Committee

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) I would like to
welcome you to the 28th Annual British Society for Histocompatibility and
Immunogenetics (BSHI) Conference at Woodland Grange, Leamington
Spa. This year the London H&I Laboratories are proud to be the first LOC
to organise a BSHI meeting in a venue that is remote from their place of
work. We would like to thank the BSHI Research Executive and the BSHI
Committee for their support during the organisation of the conference.
This year our theme is “The Next Generation”. We are embracing this with
sessions covering topics from new technologies to novel approaches in
transplantation, and we are delighted that we are able to bring you
speakers from a wide range of areas related to our ever-changing field
of speciality. This year we are taking the opportunity to bring a debate
to BSHI. We hope that this session will provide an entertaining forum for
intellectual heavy weights to battle it out presenting their differing views
to you the audience. Audience participation is encouraged!

Our venue, Woodland Grange in Leamington Spa, is a dedicated
conference venue providing the perfect backdrop to the BSHI meeting.
We are able to locate the refreshments and trade stands together,
allowing delegates the maximum opportunity for discussion with our
trade colleagues, whose support is greatly appreciated by the LOC. We
will also be utilising the facilities on site for our annual conference dinner
where the achievements of those completing their diplomas and
honorary memberships will be recognised.

We hope that this meeting will provide something that will broaden your
horizons and challenge your current thinking and we welcome you to
Leamington Spa.

Steven GE Marsh,
LOC Chairman
on behalf of the LOC

Page 6 of 66

BSHI 2017 Sponsors

The conference organisers gratefully acknowledge the support of the
following:

Page 7 of 66

Conference Programme

Tuesday 3rd October

08:00 - 10:00 Arrival and registration
10:00 - 10:20 Welcome address [Redwood Suite]

Dr Kay Poulton, BSHI Chair

Professor Steven Marsh, BSHI Honorary President and
Chairman of the Local Organising Committee

10:20 - 12:00 Plenary session I [Redwood Suite]
10:20
Chairs: Dr Kay Poulton and Dr Olivia Shaw

Transplanting the immune system with the kidney: a new
approach to tolerance

Professor Nizam Mamode, Guy’s and Great Ormond Street
Hospitals, UK

10:45 Uterine Transplantation
11:10
11:35 Benjamin Jones, Hammersmith Hospital, UK
12:00 - 13:30 Overcoming barriers in complex transplantation -
applications of 3D printing

Mr Pankaj Chandak, Guy’s and St Thomas and KLC, UK
Treg therapy in kidney and liver transplantation - first in
human data

Professor Giovanna Lombardi, Kings College London, UK

Lunch served in trade exhibition [Maple Suite]

12:30 - 13:00 Trade workshop hosted by BSHI Trainee Meeting
13:00 - 13:30 Omixon [Room 5] (AHCS)
13:30 - 14:30 [Room 6]
Trade workshop hosted by
Takara Bio Europe [Room 5]

Best oral presentations [Redwood Suite]

Chairs: Dr Paul Brookes and Dr Andrea Harmer

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14:30 - 16:00 Plenary session II [Redwood Suite]

14:30 Chairs: Dr Deborah Sage and Professor David Briggs
Review of 17th international HLA and Immunogenetics Workshop

15:00 Professor John Trowsdale, University of Cambridge, UK
Debate: Medawar or Terasaki?

Professor Anthony Dorling, MRC Centre for Transplantation, Kings
College London, UK

Dr Menna Clatworthy, University of Cambridge, UK
16:00 - 16:30 Tea and coffee break [Maple Suite]
16:30 - 17:30 Festenstein Lecture [Redwood Suite]

Chairs: James Robinson and Professor John Trowsdale
First law of Immunogenetics: It pays to be different

Professor Dr Ronald Bontrop, BPRC, Rijswijk, The Netherlands

Professor Dr Ronald Bontrop’s travel expenses have kindly been covered
by GenDx/AlphaBiotech

17:30 - 18:30 Poster viewing session/refreshments [Room 19]
20:00 - 20:30 Pre-Dinner Refreshments Sponsored by Immucor [Bar]

20:30 Conference Dinner [Restaurant]

Including:
- Presentation of BSHI Diploma Awards
- Presentation of Honorary BSHI Memberships
- Live entertainment from Swede Dreamz - one of the UK’s top
ABBA Tribute bands.

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Wednesday 4th October

08:00 - 09:00 Arrival and registration
09:00 - 10:45 Plenary Session III - Next generation technologies

[Redwood Suite]

09:00 Chairs: Dr Katy Latham and Dr Colin Brown
ION S5: An NGS platform for clinical HLA typing?

09:25 Dr Winnie Chong, NHSBT H&I Service Development, Colindale,
UK

Human platelet antigen genotyping by targeted next
generation sequencing

09:50 Sue Davey, NHSBT, Colindale, UK
SMRT Sequencing – The future for H&I laboratories?

10:15 Dr Neema Mayor, Anthony Nolan Research Institute, London, UK
Nanopore Sequencing: Opportunities and Pitfalls

Dr Mathijs Groeneweg, Maastricht University Medical Centre,
The Netherlands
10:45 - 11:15 Tea and Coffee Break [Maple Suite]

11:15 - 12:30 One Lambda and VHBio Young Scientist presentations

Chairs: Dr Katy Derbyshire and Dr Neema Mayor
12:30 - 14:00 Lunch including Trade Exhibition [Maple Suite]

13:00 - 13:30 Trade workshop hosted by BSHI Meetings
13:30 - 14:00 GendX [Room 5] [Room 6]
14:00 - 15:00
Trade workshop hosted by
StemCell [Room 5]

BSHI AGM [Redwood Suite]

15:00 - 15:30 Tea and Coffee Break [Maple Suite]

15:30 - 16:30 Terasaki Lecture [Redwood Suite]

Chair: Professor Steven GE Marsh

The Extraordinary Variation of HLA Class I Ligands and their Killer-
cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors

Professor Peter Parham, Stanford University, USA

Sponsored by VHBio
16:30 - 17:00 Closing Ceremony

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Speaker Biographies and Abstracts

Plenary Session I

10:20 - Transplanting the immune system with the kidney: a new
approach to tolerance

Professor Nizam Mamode, Guy’s and Great Ormond Street Hospitals, UK

Abstract: Strategies to achieve tolerance in renal transplantation have
been sought for fifty years, since the first realization of the importance of
immunosuppression and HLA typing. A number of different approaches
have been tried, but remarkable success has been evident recently
from three programmes in the US and one in India. These have, broadly
speaking, involved concomitant haematopoetic stem cell transplants,
and subsequent withdrawal of immunosuppression.

This talk will review these approaches and detail the challenges
involved, which cells are important, why is antibody mediated rejection
still a problem, and how can graft versus host disease be avoided. The
difficulty of immune monitoring, and the need for HLA matching will be
discussed. Outcomes will be presented, along with details of a protocol
for a study being planned in the UK.

Biography: Professor Mamode works at Guy’s Hospital, where he is
Clinical Lead for Transplant Surgery, and at Great
Ormond Street Hospital. He has a particular interest in
antibody incompatible transplantation, and runs one
of the largest programmes in the UK, as well as
contributing to guidance and strategy at a national
level in this field. He has developed an antibody
incompatible EVNP model and has a number of
ongoing research projects- he is Chief Investigator for
two NIHR funded multicentre studies, as well as two
other multicentre randomised trials, and supervises
five PhD students. He is a member of the Council of

the British Transplant Society, and the College of Experts for NICE. He
performed the first robotic transplants in the UK, and has published over
70 papers, one book and three book chapters.

Page 11 of 66

10:45 - Uterine Transplantation

Benjamin Jones, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial NHS Healthcare Trust,
UK

Abstract: Absolute uterine factor infertility (AUFI) is a term used to
describe women who cannot carry a pregnancy because of either a
congenital absence of a uterus or the presence of an anatomically or
physiologically non-functioning uterus. Causes of AUFI can be
categorised into congenital, such as Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser
(MRKH) Syndrome and acquired, due to Asherman’s Syndrome or
following hysterectomy to treat post-partum haemorrhage, benign
gynaecological disease or gynaecological cancer. AUFI affects 1 in 500
women of childbearing age. The currently available options to acquire
motherhood in AUFI include adoption or surrogacy.

Not only are these options associated with complex legal, financial,
cultural, ethical and religious factors, but a woman's inability to
conceive, carry pregnancy and ultimately bear children negatively
affects the perception of their own femininity and quality of living.
Moreover, greater than a third of infertile women suffer with severe
symptoms of depression and they have a two-fold increased risk of
suicide. The concept of uterine transplantation may allow women with
AUFI to conceive, carry a pregnancy and bear biologically related
children themselves, but it may also improve their psychological
wellbeing and allow them to re-discover their own femininity.

Whilst recent years have seen prolific developments in UTx, it is still in its
experimental phase, and the onset and outcome of our UK human trial,
and other studies worldwide is eagerly awaited. UTx research teams
have been established globally, and the international society for uterine
transplantation (ISUTx) has recently been established, with its inaugural
meeting held in Gothenburg in January 2016. With 21 UTx teams, based
across 18 countries, a collaborative approach within this society should
accelerate progress. Furthermore, the creation of official guidelines and
recommendations, along with the institution of an international registry
will optimise patient safety and performance monitoring.

Page 12 of 66

Biography: Mr Benjamin Jones qualified from the University of Leeds,
School of Medicine in 2009. He completed basic
training in Mid-Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust before
being appointed to the North-West Thames
Deanery Obstetrics and Gynaecology programme
in 2012. He has since worked at West Middlesex
University Hospital, Queen Charlottes & Chelsea
Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital. He obtained
membership to the Royal College of Obstetrics and
Gynaecologists in 2015.
In April 2015, he was appointed as a clinical
research fellow at Imperial College (Division of

Surgery and Cancer, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental
Biology), where he is currently undertaking an MD under the guidance
of Mr Richard Smith. His research is based on fertility preservation and
restoration, including the first clinical trial on uterine transplantation in the
UK. In January 2016, he became a founding member of the International
Society of Uterine Transplantation (ISUTx).
Ben has a number of peer reviewed publications and has presented
internationally on subjects including uterine transplantation and various
aspects of fertility preservation. His ongoing research interests include
ovarian tissue preserving laparoscopic surgery, endometrial
transplantation and uterine normothermic perfusion and
cryopreservation.

Page 13 of 66

11:10 - Overcoming barriers in complex transplantation - applications of
3D printing.

Pankaj Chandak, Guy’s and St Thomas and KCL, UK

Abstract: This talk will highlight some applications of 3D printing
technology in helping surgeons to plan challenging operations such as
implanting an adult sized kidney into a child. It will focus on model
preparations and illustrate some examples with real cases.

Biography: Pankaj Chandak is a Specialist Registrar in Transplant Surgery
at Guy’s, St Thomas’ and Great Ormond Street
Hospitals within the London Deanery and a current
Research Fellow, under Professor Nizam Mamode,
Professor Anthony Dorling, King’s College London. Mr
Chandak was awarded a Royal College of Surgeons
Research Fellowship for his PhD entitled “Overcoming
anatomical and immunological barriers in complex
transplantation.” His interests include paediatric
transplantation, organ perfusion applications and
innovation as well as public engagement in science.
His multidisciplinary work on integrating 3D printing

technology to help with complex paediatric transplantation, was
awarded The Royal Society of Medicine Norman Tanner Medal and the
Worshipful Company of Cutlers’ Clarke Medal 2016, with the models
having been accepted by the Science Museum for permanent
exhibition in the new Medical Galleries for 2019. Mr Chandak is also
recipient of The International Paediatric Transplant Young Scholar Award
2017 and The Royal College of Surgeons of England Lister Prize and
Medal 2014. He has Honorary Lectureship at King’s College London and
was awarded The Royal College of Surgeons Arnott Lecture delivered at
the British Transplantation Congress 2016. He has given public talks at The
Royal Society, The Royal Institution, The Academy of Medical Sciences,
The Women’s Institute, Parliament on behalf of King’s College London
and The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow as
Goodall Memorial Lecturer, 2017.

Page 14 of 66

11:35 - Treg therapy in kidney and liver transplantation - first in
human data.

Professor Giovanna Lombardi, MRC Centre for Transplantation,
Kings College London, UK

Abstract: Transplantation is a very successful approach for the treatment
of end stage organ failure. However, while immunosuppressive drugs are
effective in preventing acute rejection, they have significant limitations.
Aside from the myriad of toxicities, the average half life of a cadaveric
kidney or heart transplants has changed little and remains
approximately 10 years supporting the need for active tolerance
induction strategies. The observation in animal model of transplantation
that adoptive transfer of regulatory T cells (Tregs) can induce and
maintain tolerance has paved the way for the first clinical trials in
transplant patients. We have expanded, polyclonally, Tregs in the GMP
facility at Guy’s Hospital in the presence of rapamycin and two clinical
trials have just been completed. In the first clinical trial 12 kidney
transplant patients have been injected with recipient polyclonal Tregs
(as part of the ONE study) and in the second trial Tregs have been
injected in 9 liver transplant patients (ThRIL). The results of these two
clinical trials have demonstrated that Tregs are safe. The results from the
immunomonitoring will inform us of the impact of Tregs on the immune
system of the recipients. However, we have shown in animal models that
donor-specific Tregs are functionally superior to polyclonal Tregs. One
way to confer speciality to Tregs is by transduction with a lentivirus
construct encoding a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) specific for
donor MHC class I molecules. The functional advantage of using CAR+
Tregs compared to Tregs with other specificities for the graft is under
investigation. Finally, we are testing whether combining Tregs with other
strategies such as inhibiting inflammatory processes, can further increase
the likelihood of achieving transplantation tolerance. The results that we
will obtain will inform the future of Treg therapy in transplantation.

Page 15 of 66

Biography: Giovanna Lombardi is Professor of Human Transplant
Immunology in the Division of Transplantation
Immunology and Mucosal Biology, MRC Centre
for Transplantation, at King’s College London
(KCL), UK. Before moving to KCL in 2005 she was a
Reader in Cellular Immunology (from 2002) at
Imperial College School of Medicine,
Hammersmith Hospital, London. She joined the
Department of Immunology at the Hammersmith
Hospital in 1987 from the University of Rome, Italy,
as Senior Research Officer.

Her research has focused on the mechanisms of
transplant rejection and tolerance as well as on
the phenotype and function of regulatory
CD4+CD25+ T cells (Tregs) in health and disease,
both in the murine system and in human. Recently
her laboratory has examined manipulating this
population of cells in vitro to use for immunotherapy in transplanted
patients. A protocol to expand polyclonal Tregs for clinical use has been
established. Two clinical trials with Tregs in renal transplant patients as
part of a large EU cell therapy consortium (the One Study) and in liver
transplant patients supported by the MRC (ThRIL) have just been
completed. In parallel, her group has demonstrated that adoptive cell
therapy using alloantigen-specific Tregs can offer an advantage
compared to polyclonal Tregs for preventing chronic allograft rejection.
A new GMP facility with a cell sorter to generate highly pure Tregs is
under validation, opening the possibility of using alloantigen-specific
Tregs for future clinical trials. Finally, her group has been investigating
ways to increase the efficacy of Treg therapy by combining the
adoptive transfer of Tregs with inhibiting components of the innate
immune system or by co-injecting low dose IL-2. So far these approaches
have appeared to synergise with Tregs in delaying transplant rejection.
The results obtained will inform future Treg therapies in transplant patients.

Page 16 of 66

Plenary Session II

14:30 - Review of 17th International HLA and Immunogenetics Workshop
Professor John Trowsdale, University of Cambridge, UK
Biography: John Trowsdale PhD FMedSoc is a Professor in the

Immunology Division in the Department of
Pathology, Cambridge UK. After postdoctoral work
in Paris and California he joined Sir Walter Bodmer’s
laboratory, an HLA pioneer, in Oxford, which then
moved to Cancer Research UK (formerly ICRF) in
London. In the early 1980’s Trowsdale was one of
the first to clone HLA genes and his group was the
first to complete sequencing on the entire HLA
region. In collaboration with Stephan Beck at the
Sanger Centre he provided completely sequenced
HLA haplotypes, which are now considered ‘gold-
standard’ reference sequences. Trowsdale has
made other contributions to the field of immunogenetics, in particular
identifying components of antigen processing for HLA, such as TAP
transporters. Recently the group developed novel, high-throughput
methods for typing polymorphic immunoreceptor genes. In 2002 he
received the ASHI Rose Payne distinguished scientist award. Trowsdale
received the Ceppellini Award at the Annual Conference of EFI in Sofia
2004. He was the chair of BSHI in 1997 and he delivered the Festenstein
Lecture at the BSHI meeting in Liverpool in 2012.

Page 17 of 66

15:00 - Debate: Medawar or Terasaki?

Professor Anthony Dorling, MRC Centre for Transplantation,
Kings College London, UK

Abstract: Making transplants last longer, ideally to end of a recipient’s
natural life span, is arguably the most important challenge facing organ
transplantation today. Over the last few years there has been major
progress in our understanding of why transplants fail, with the awareness
that immune-mediated injury is the predominant cause. Undoubtedly,
one of the significant leaps forward came with the realisation that B cells
and donor-specific antibodies play an important role in chronic allograft
injury.

However, in this debate I will advance the argument that if we are to
make progress in preventing or treating chronic immune-mediated
injury, we need to acknowledge the important role that T cells play in the
process.

My argument will be based on 4 points, which I will defend with
evidence. First, CD4+ T cells are essential for priming HLA-specific B cells
and HLA antibody production. Second, anti-donor antibodies per se
tend to be non-pathogenic in the absence of T cell priming, and can in
fact mediate graft-protective responses; in a similar vein, anti-donor B
cells can be tolerogenic, and graft-protective. Third, T cells in the
absence of antibody and B cells can mediate pathological lesions that
we have started to call ‘antibody-mediated’. I will make the case that
this is because we’ve mistakenly interpreted evidence of association
with evidence of causation. Finally, I will present our data showing that
graft dysfunction in so-called chronic antibody-mediated rejection is
dependent on the activity of the anti-donor T cell responses,
independently of the presence of anti-donor antibody.

The basis of my argument is not that one type of immune response,
effector mechanism or lymphocyte subset is more important than
another, but, in the spirit in which both Medawar and Terasaki worked, it
is that understanding the complexity and heterogeneity of chronic
allograft injury is the only way we will we continue to make progress.

Page 18 of 66

Biography: Anthony Dorling qualified in Medicine from the University of
London in 1987 and gained membership of the
Royal College of Physicians in 1990. He did his PhD
at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, before
embarking on specialist training in Nephrology in
1995. After an appointment as Senior Lecturer (later
Reader) in Immunology at Imperial College London
(Hammersmith Hospital), he took up his current
position as Professor of Transplant Inflammation and
Repair at King’s College London in 2009. He is
honorary consultant Nephrologist ay Guy’s Hospital,
Head of the Innate Immunity Department within the
Division of Transplant Immunology and Mucosal
Biology at KCL, and Deputy Director of the MRC

Centre for Transplantation.
In the last 5 years, his focus has been on the humoral, cellular and
molecular mechanisms involved in vascular rejection of transplanted
organs. Clinically, his work is in two main areas. The first is antibody-
incompatible transplants, attempting to understand ‘accommodation’.
The second is in chronic antibody-mediated rejection, and he is chief
investigator on two UK multicentre RCTs, RituxiCAN-C4 and OuTSMART.
His pure laboratory work is focussed mainly on the role that coagulation
proteases play in inflammatory vascular disease, and includes models of
intimal hyperplasia and transplant arteriosclerosis.

Page 19 of 66

15:00 - Debate: Medawar or Terasaki?
Dr Menna Clatworthy, University of Cambridge, UK

Biography: Dr Clatworthy read Medicine at Cardiff, completed her
professional training in nephrology at
Cambridge and undertook a PhD at the
University of Cambridge, investigating the role
of IgG and Fc Rs in autoimmunity and
infection. She was awarded the British Renal
Association Raine Award and the Academy of
Medical Sciences/Medical Research Society
Young Investigator Award for this work. She
subsequently completed a Wellcome Trust
Intermediate Fellowship at Cambridge and
the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA.

Dr Clatworthy is a PI in the Department of Medicine, University of
Cambridge. Her lab is based in the Molecular Immunity Unit, within the
new MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Her research focuses on
immune regulation, particularly of B cell and antibody effector function
and the effect of tissue environment on immune responses. Her clinical
interests are in renal transplantation, particularly using novel
immunosuppressants to target humoral immunity. She has also written a
number of educational textbooks, including Transplantation at a Glance
(Wiley Blackwell 2013).

Page 20 of 66

Festenstein Lecture

16:30 - First law of immunogenetics: It pays to be different

Professor Dr Ronald Bontrop, BPRC, Rijswijk, The Netherlands

Abstract: The MHC and KIR gene families are polygenic entities and
display copy number variation in concert with abundant allelic variation
as well. A comparative genetic approach by studying these systems in
humans, great apes and Old and New world monkeys, unearthed
valuable information about its evolution and function, but also sheds
light on their plasticity.

Biography: Ronald Bontrop started studying the HLA system in 1983 in the
Department of Immunohaematology and Blood
Bank (Head Prof. dr Jon van Rood) Leiden, the
Netherlands. His PhD thesis was published in 1987,
and involved the biochemical, molecular and
functional characterization of HLA class II
antigens. In 1988, he moved to the Biomedical
Primate Research Centre (BPRC) in Rijswijk, the
Netherlands and initiated studies on the
characterization of MHC genes and molecules in
various great ape and monkey species. He has
expanded his research interests to other
components of the Immune system such as the

KIR, BTN and other gene families. He is scientifically intrigued by the
co-evolution of immune system genes and pathogens. In 1998, he was
appointed as the general and scientific director of the BPRC. Under his
reign the institute was completely rebuilt and substantial improvements
were made on numerous animal welfare issues. In 2010, he was recruited
by the Utrecht University as a professor in Comparative Immunogenetics
and Refinement. His team has published more than 250 papers in peer
reviewed journals.

Page 21 of 66

Plenary Session III - Next Generation Technologies

09:00 - Ion S5: An NGS platform for clinical HLA typing?

Dr Winnie Chong, NHSBT H&I Service Development, Colindale, UK.

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) provides rapid, high-throughput,
allelic HLA typing compared to Sanger sequencing, resulting in better
matching and benefiting transplant patients with improved clinical
outcomes.

The Ion Torrent NGS systems utilise ion semiconductor sequencing
technology which differs from others in that it relies on changes in pH
rather than the use of modified nucleotides or optics. Sequencing is
performed in a chip consisting of millions of microwells. Clonally
amplified libraries are prepared on spherical beads with each bead
subsequently contained within a single microwell of the chip. Flows of
specific dNTPs flood the chip and pH changes are detected when
incorporation occurs and hydrogen ions are released.

NGS is well established for high-throughput donor registry typing but
there are still challenges for its use for low-throughput clinical typing. Our
laboratory has evaluated the Ion PGM and the Ion S5 systems using the
One Lambda NXType NGS kit. The aim was to determine their feasibility
for both high-throughput donor HLA typing and low-throughput clinical
HLA typing. DNA samples from 362 stem cell registry donors were
sequenced using the Ion PGM. 24 IHIW proficiency samples and 214 stem
cell registry donors were sequenced using the Ion S5.

The NXType kit could detect uncommon HLA alleles including A*24:07:01
and C*04:82 and null alleles including A*24:09N, A*68:11N, A*68:18N and
DRB4*01:03:01:02N. However, a lack of resolution was observed for
DRB1*04:07:01/*04:92, DRB1*08:01:01/*08:77, DRB1*09:21/*09:01:02,
DRB1*12:10/*12:01:01, DQB1*06:01:01/*06:01:15 which are all attributed
to the Class II primers only covering Exon 2 to Intron 3 for DRB1 and DQB1.
Cis/trans ambiguities due to insufficient phasing were also detected for
several DPB1 and DQB1 alleles. Allele drop-out of DQB1*03:01 was also
observed with the Ion PGM, however this was resolved with the Ion S5
and overall both systems showed a 3-day turnaround time with
automatic analysis with the TypeStream software plugin.

Page 22 of 66

The three chip sizes for the Ion PGM enabled testing of up to 44 samples
for 9-loci HLA typing (HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DRB3,4,5, -DQB1 and -DPB1).
However, the Ion S5 with the Ion Chef enabled an automated workflow
downstream of the genomic library preparation. Preparation of the
template library onto the beads and chip loading is performed by the
Ion Chef, eliminating hands-on time and variability in chip loading. The
Ion S5 sequencing solutions eliminated the need for nitrogen gas,
making the pH initialisation of the system more user-friendly. The S5 chip
enabled HLA sequencing of up to 96 samples for 9 loci HLA typing but up
to 48 samples have also been tested for 11-loci HLA typing including
DQA1 and DPA1.
Our evaluation has shown that the NXType kit provides rapid allelic HLA
resolution with both the Ion PGM and S5 systems but the major drawback
is the lack of coverage of Exons 1 and 4 of some Class II genes.
Improvements to the workflow have been made with the use of the Ion
S5 with the Ion Chef. Due to flexibility of these systems, they can be used
for high-throughput and low-throughput clinical HLA typing.

Page 23 of 66

Biography: Winnie is a senior Research Scientist with 15 years of
experience in academia, industry and the health
sector. She obtained her BSc.(Hons) degree in
molecular biology in 1998 and PhD in epigenetics in
2003 from the University of Portsmouth.

Her post-doctoral research studies include
regulated intramembrane proteolysis at the Marie
Curie Research Institute and a Wellcome Trust-
funded study of histone methylation in VDJ
recombination at University College London.

In 2005, she moved into the industrial sector as a
Senior Research and Development Scientist at Bioline Ltd., developing
new products for rapid PCR and qPCR directly from blood, tissues and
cells.

Since 2008, she has been the Senior Post-Doctoral Research Scientist in
the H&I Service Development group at NHS Blood and Transplant. This is
a national role supporting the six H&I laboratories in NHSBT by designing,
developing and evaluating new molecular and serological tests to
support transplantation, transfusion and disease association studies.

To support haematopoietic stem cell transplantation and donor registry
testing, Winnie has developed tests for the detection of CCR5 delta32
mutation in stem cell donors, NGS typing of HLA Class II genes and is
currently evaluating rapid NGS typing for clinical testing. Winnie and her
team also support solid organ transplantation by developing tests for
pharmacogenetic markers relevant to drug metabolism and outcome
following renal transplantation.

On an international level, she has led a collaboration to validate a rapid
antibody detection assay developed using recombinant platelet
antigens in a study of 498 NAIT cases. This assay was also tested by 21
international laboratories as part of the 16th ISBT Platelet Immunology
workshop. NGS is currently the focus of her activities and she is
participating in two projects of the NGS of Full-length HLA genes
component of the 17th International HLA and Immunogenetics
Workshop. In addition, she also lectures to MSc and Medical students.

Page 24 of 66

09:25 - Human platelet antigen genotyping by next generation
sequencing

Dr Sue Davey, NHSBT H&I Laboratory, Colindale, UK

Abstract: Human platelet antigens (HPA) are located on glycoproteins
expressed on the surface of platelets. Patients can become
alloimmunised to HPA following exposure during transfusion or
pregnancy. Production of HPA alloantibodies can have clinical
implications for some patients, binding to platelets leading to a
decrease of platelet function and survival in conditions such as such as
immune platelet refractoriness and foetal neonatal alloimmune
thrombocytopenia (FNAIT). There are currently twenty nine HPA systems
described, encoded by the six genes ITGB3, ITGA2B, ITGA2, GP1BA,
GP1BB and CD109. With the exception of HLA-14bw (which is defined by
a three base pair deletion), each HPA is characterised by a single
nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) resulting in an amino acid substitution in
the corresponding protein.

A variety of molecular techniques have been employed to define the
HPA systems, with the majority of HPA typing methods restricted to
defining HPA-1, HPA-2, HPA-3, HLA-4, HPA-5 and HPA-15, selected
originally for their frequency and clinical relevance. However, due to
increasing reports of maternal alloantibodies against ‘rare’ HPA antigens
it has been suggested that genotyping techniques should be expanded
to include all known HPA systems. Ideally, a single method capable of
both detecting all known HPA SNPs and identifying novel mutations
implicated in FNAIT should be employed. This would avoid the two tiered
approach often required when investigating a rare or possibly unique
HPA which can lead to protracted and costly laboratory investigations,
requiring full length Sanger sequencing of one or more of the large HPA
defining genes which range in size from 8232bp to 132,533bp.

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) has the capacity to produce large
amounts of sequence data relatively quickly and cheaply when
compared to Sanger sequencing. A recent report describing the
potential use of whole genome sequencing by NGS for predicting red
cell and platelet antigens indicated that a targeted NGS approach
might be a more affordable option for laboratories with novel DNA
bar-coding technology enabling the simultaneous sequencing of
specific regions of the genome in multiple individuals.

Page 25 of 66

A targeted enrichment HaloPlexHS assay was designed to sequence all
exons and flanking regions of the six genes known to encode HPA.
Indexed DNA libraries were prepared from samples previously HPA
genotyped and subsequently combined into one of three pools for
sequencing on an Illumina MiSeq platform. FASTQ files generated were
aligned and scrutinised for each HPA polymorphism using SureCall data
analysis software. Forty six samples were successfully genotyped for
HPA-1 to HPA-29w, with an average per base coverage depth of 1144.
Concordance with historical HPA genotypes was 100%. A putative novel
mutation in exon 10 of the ITGB3 gene from an historical unsolved case
of FNAIT was also detected.
An NGS based method that can accurately define all known HPA
polymorphisms was developed with the ability to sequence up to 96
samples simultaneously. This HaloPlexHS design could be utilised for both
high throughput HPA genotyping and for clinical investigation of FNAIT
when rare or novel HPA are suspected.

Page 26 of 66

Biography: Sue Davey started her career in 1985 as a Junior MLSO at the
Regional Transfusion Centre in Bristol and was
introduced to H&I during her first rotation.
Although she qualified in transfusion science, by
1989 Sue had returned to H&I (then part of UK
Transplant) to pursue her main area of interest.

Sue’s molecular journey began in 1991 when she
became responsible for the HLA typing of
volunteer bone marrow donors using both
serological and RFLP techniques. This was followed
by the implementation of PCR-SSP for HLA class II,
initially to resolve some RFLP ambiguities but
eventually for the routine typing of clinical
samples. Introduction of PCR-SSP was how Sue met her husband Nick
who was collaborating with UKT in the early days of PCR-SSP
development. However, as H&I never stands still, Sue was also
instrumental in the subsequent implementation of Sanger sequencing
based typing at UKT.

Sue moved to the Royal London Hospital in 1995 to head the molecular
typing section. This relocation provided her with the opportunity to study
for an MSc in Medical Molecular Biology, resulting in transition from an
MLSO to a Clinical Scientist. In 2000 she joined NHSBT in Colindale, initially
to lead the donor typing team and later in her current role as Laboratory
Operations Manager.

Over the past 17 years Sue has been intimately involved with a number
of changes in technology for patient and donor HLA typing, the most
recent being next generation sequencing (NGS). Sue was responsible for
the design and development of a high throughput NGS protocol for
allele level HLA typing, resulting in NHSBT becoming the first UK laboratory
to implement NGS for registry typing. Sue has also employed NGS
technology for her professional doctorate, developing of a novel
genotyping approach to improve transfusion support for patients with
HLA and HPA alloantibodies.

Page 27 of 66

09:50 - SMRT Sequencing - The future for H&I laboratories?

Dr Neema Mayor, Anthony Nolan Research Institute, London, UK

Abstract: Pacific Biosciences’ Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) DNA
sequencing has revolutionised the field of HLA typing. The ability to
sequence single molecules of DNA and generate read lengths that are
equivalent to, or in excess of, entire HLA genes has allowed the routine
achievement of levels of HLA typing resolution that were not considered
feasible for clinical typing laboratories until recently.

The clinical usage of SMRT sequencing has allowed us to have greater
sequence coverage than ever before and we are refining typing and
matching of stem cell donors and recipients. Additionally, the number of
novel alleles, both coding and non-coding, are increasing.

Anthony Nolan implemented SMRT sequencing as the primary HLA tying
method in January 2016. The development of a robust PCR amplification
strategy was crucial, particularly when dealing with samples of low
concentration or poor quality DNA. The use of specific enzymes from
Takara Bio Inc. have enabled a full HLA class I gene and an almost full
HLA class II gene typing strategy to be adopted. Due to the volume of
samples that are typed, robotic automation of the library preparation
was vital and an almost fully automated pipeline has been established.

Since the go-live date, over 32,000 samples have been sequenced
through this automated clinical pipeline. Reviews of the data generated
so far have given us a greater insight into what defines a common,
uncommon or rare allele. Additionally, HLA typing at an ultra-high
resolution has allowed for more refined patterns of Linkage Disequilibrium
to be discovered. Together, these observations are substantially aiding
our clinical data analysis.

The Anthony Nolan Research Institute is continuing to develop SMRT
sequencing projects that will redefine the frontiers of Histocompatibility
and Immunogenetic typing. In order to determine the impact of
polymorphisms that were not characterised in the classical HLA loci at
the time of stem cell transplant, a cohort of individuals are being re-
typed using our clinical HLA typing pipeline and an outcome analysis is
in progress. The development of full-length HLA class II gene sequencing
and Killer cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptor (KIR) allele-level resolution
typing will provide a deeper understanding of the sequence and
genetic diversity of these loci and will allow for their impact on stem cell
transplant outcome to be determined.

Page 28 of 66

Biography: Dr Neema Mayor is a Senior Postdoctoral Research Scientist
at the Anthony Nolan Research Institute and an
Honorary Lecturer at the UCL Cancer Institute,
University College London. She achieved her
PhD from UCL while at Anthony Nolan in the
group of Professor Steven Marsh. Her PhD
studies demonstrated the impact of NOD2
gene polymorphisms on relapse rates and
mortality for Unrelated Donor (UD)
Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT)
recipients with an Acute Leukaemia. Her
research is currently focussed in two areas, firstly
the development and implementation of novel
methods to detect genetic polymorphism and
secondly, analysing the impact of HLA and non-

HLA genetic variants on the outcome of UD-HSCTs in the UK transplant
population. Recently Dr Mayor was responsible for the development of
the Third Generation Sequencing method Single Molecule Real-Time
(SMRT) DNA sequencing for clinical HLA typing and aided in the transition
of the technology from a research tool to a high-throughput, ISO 15189
accredited technique. Dr Mayor has been awarded the Invitrogen
Young Scientist at the 18th BSHI meeting (2007), the van Bekkum Award
at the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)
meeting (2007), the International ASHI Scholar Award at the American
Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI) meeting
(2014) for her research work.

Page 29 of 66

10:15 Nanopore Sequencing: Opportunities and Pitfalls

Dr Mathijs Groeneweg, Maastricht University Medical Center,
The Netherlands

Abstract: Analysing extended polymorphism in HLA is important in stem
cell transplantation, not only for allele matching, but also for determining
gene expression levels and possibly alternatively spliced protein isoforms.
To look at extended polymorphism, being able to do full length HLA
sequencing is necessary. High-throughput, full length sequencing is
feasible with Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). Short read NGS is
currently applied by laboratories across the world. However, short reads
can lead to phasing issues, resulting in ambiguous allele calls. More
recently, single molecule sequencing has enabled us to overcome
phasing issues, with the introduction of ultra-long reads. These long reads
not only eliminate allele ambiguities, they also facilitate haplotype
identification, relevant for stem cell transplantation. In contrast to
sequencing methods producing short reads, long reads enable us to
make reliable, fully phased stretches of full-length HLA sequences, with
sample preparation and sequencing taking only a few hours. Currently,
two single molecule sequencing systems are available: PacBio SMRT
sequencing and Oxford Nanopore nanopore sequencing.

Our laboratory is currently implementing the Oxford Nanopore MinION
as this system is easy and inexpensive to implement and therefore also
suitable for medium and low-throughput laboratories. With the
application of Oxford Nanopore single molecule sequencing, we are
able to create ultra-long reads, up to, at least, 100,000 bases. Apart from
the clinical application of long reads in diagnostics, obtained through
the Oxford Nanopore MinION device, we can now start to address more
basic questions, including research on the polymorphic content of the
HLA genes and the relevance of this polymorphism, genomic structure
and HLA splicing. Finally, as with other NGS applications, nanopore
sequencing is increasingly dependent on bioinformatics for automation,
data generation and downstream analysis and as a consequence data
standardization. In the near future, Oxford Nanopore sequencing will not
only enable us to do amplicon sequencing, but it can also facilitate
single molecule sequencing. This will greatly reduce the time needed for
sequencing, as there will no longer be a necessity for a PCR reaction.

Page 30 of 66

Biography: Mathijs Groeneweg studied biology at Utrecht University. He
then started as a PhD student at the Molecular
Genetics department at Maastricht university,
where he studied inflammation in oxLDL loaded
foam cell macrophages. During his PhD, he
applied bioinformatics to analyze gene expression.
As a member of the CARIM institute he obtained
het CARIM certificate in 2005. He then continued
his research at the pathology department of the
Maastricht University Medical Center, where he
studied the effects of modulated inflammatory
pathways on atherosclerosis and obtained his PhD
degree. In 2010, he started at the department of
Transplantation Immunology at the Maastricht

University Medical Center. At the Transplantation Immunology
department his main research topics are gene organization, splicing, full
gene polymorphism and bioinformatics. He currently focusses on the
development and implementation in clinical diagnostics and research
of the Oxford Nanopore MinION device and the accompanying
bioinformatics.

Page 31 of 66

Terasaki Lecture

15:30 - The Extraordinary variation of HLA Class I Ligands and their
killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors

Professor Peter Parham, Stanford University, USA

Abstract: Running throughout of my research has been the theme of HLA
class I polymorphism. The first goal was to define the molecular nature of
the polymorphism, the second was to define its functional effects.
Defining the polymorphism required the determination of sequences,
which began, at the protein level, in 1975, with a few N-terminal amino-
acid residues. Now, four decades later, we have many thousands of
allotypic amino-acid sequences: at least for the highly polymorphic a1
and a2 domains of HLA-A, -B and –C that bind peptide antigens and
engage both the ab receptors of CD8 T cells and the killer cell
immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) of natural killer (NK) cells, as well as
some ab and gd T cells. For each of the HLA-A, -B and –C genes, the
alleles divide cleanly into two groups.

One group comprises the large majority of alleles. These are
distinguished by a single nucleotide substitution that has been detected
in very few individuals, and sometimes only one. Such substitutions have
been described for every single position in the sequence of exons 2 and
3 of HLA-A, -B and –C. These substitutions are a consequence of the
germ-line mutation rates of the HLA-A, -B and –C genes; and they have
not been subject to Darwinian selection. From the frequency of their
occurrence we estimate that several million HLA-A, -B and –C alleles are
present in the world’s human populations. The other group of alleles
comprises a small minority of the HLA-A, -B and –C alleles. They are
present in numerous individuals, and in different human populations, and
are distinguished by multiple nucleotide substitutions. These alleles have
been subject to Darwinian selection. The qualitative difference between
the two allelic groups is vividly illustrated by plots showing the frequency
of the second most common nucleotide at each position in the
nucleotide sequence. At most positions this frequency is vanishingly
small, whereas significant frequencies are observed for a minority of
positions. And for many of these highly polymorphic positions, three or
four alternative nucleotides are seen. They are also the positions that
have been consistently implicated in the modulation of immunological
functions.

Page 32 of 66

We are endowed with this wealth of HLA-A,-B,–C sequences, because of
the clinical benefits of precise HLA-A,-B,-C matching in allogeneic
hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and the consequent
establishment of large registries of donors. KIR gene variation and
polymorphism are comparable to that of the HLA genes, as are the
numerous correlations of KIR with disease. However, there is still no
routine application for KIR typing in clinical medicine. One obvious
problem is imprecision and poor coverage of the existing KIR typing ‘kits’,
as is highlighted by the more informative results obtained by the few
studies that KIR typed to high resolution. To address this problem we have
been developing new methods for sequenced-based typing of KIR and
HLA haplotypes and are now applying them to questions of population
genetics and disease associations.

Page 33 of 66

Biography: Peter Parham grew up in London and in 1972 gained a
degree in Natural Sciences from the University
of Cambridge. He then obtained a Kennedy
Fellowship that enabled him to pursue
graduate studies in the Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at
Harvard University. There he joined the
research group of Jack Strominger and
worked on studies to purify and sequence
HLA-A and –B proteins. On gaining his PhD in
1977, Parham was awarded a three year
Harvard Junior Fellowship, which enabled him
to spend the first year in Walter Bodmer’s
research group in the Genetics Department at
the University of Oxford. At that time the new
technology of monoclonal antibodies was just
beginning to be applied to the study of cell-

surface proteins and in particular, at Oxford, to the HLA system. By
immunizing mice with highly purified HLA-A and –B proteins, Parham was
able to make an extensive panel of monoclonal antibodies that
recognized a variety of polymorphic and monomorphic epitopes of HLA
class I. Some of the polymorphic epitopes corresponded to the
alloantigens defined by human alloantisera, but others were different
and revealed previously unknown heterogeneity in HLA antigens. On
joining the faculty of Stanford University in 1980, Parham began to
develop sequence-based strategies for precise definition of the
differences between HLA-A, -B and –C allotypes and for discovering the
common HLA-A, -B and –C allotypes that could not be distinguished by
serological HLA typing. Since 1991, Parham has expanded this
immunogenetic approach to the KIR family of lymphocyte receptors,
which recognize epitopes of HLA class I and has genetic diversity
comparable to that of HLA class I. For these research accomplishments
Peter Parham has received the Rose Payne, Ceppellini, Festenstein and
Simons awards for histocompatibility and immunogenetics. He was
elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2008 and a Fellow of the
Academy of Medical Sciences in 2016.

Page 34 of 66

Social Programme

Trade Reception

Tuesday 3rd October (17:30 - 19:00 hours)

[Maple Suite]

Please join us in meeting the exhibitors supporting the BSHI Conference
this year over a beverage. All of the exhibitors will be on their stands and
refreshments will be served in the exhibition.

Poster Viewing

Tuesday 3rd October (17:30 - 19:00 hours)

[Room 19]

Alongside the Trade Reception, we will be holding a poster viewing
session. The posters are on display for the duration of the conference, but
come along during these times to discuss the posters with their authors.

Pre-dinner Refreshments and Conference Dinner

Tuesday 3rd October (Pre-dinner refreshments at 20:00 to be seated at
20:30 hours)

[Bar and Restaurant]

We are grateful to Immucor for sponsoring the pre-dinner refreshments.
This is the perfect opportunity to network with old and new colleagues.

The conference dinner will be served in the Woodland Grange
restaurant. You will be asked to take your seats for dinner at 20:00
prompt. Awards will be presented at the dinner followed by live
entertainment from Swede Dreamz - one of the UK’s top ABBA tribute
bands.

Page 35 of 66

BSHI Annual General Meeting Agenda

Wednesday 4th October 2017 (14:00 - 15:00)

[Redwood Suite]

28th BSHI Conference, Leamington Spa 2017

Members of the BSHI Committee:

Chair : Kay Poulton

Chair Elect: Andrea Harmer

Secretary: Deborah Pritchard

Treasurer: John Smith

Meetings Secretary: Katy Derbyshire

Membership Secretary: Anna Barker

Chair PAG: Brendan Clark

Chair BEB: Deborah Sage

Ordinary Members: Olivia Shaw
Tom Browne
Elizabeth Wroe

Agenda

1. Apologies from Committee Members

2. Matters arising from previous meeting on 14/09/2016

3. Chair’s report

4. Secretary’s report

5. Treasurer’s report

6. Membership Secretary’s report

7. Meetings Secretary’s report

8. BSHI Education Board Report

9. Professional Advisory Group Report

10. Any Other Business

Page 36 of 66

Lunchtime Workshop Information

Tuesday 3rd October 12:30 - 13:00 [Room 5]

Omixon: EFI accreditation with NGS in an NHS lab
Tuesday 3rd October 13:00 - 13:30 [Room 5]

Takara: Use of Long Range PCR in Target sequencing for MHC
characterization
Wednesday 4th October 13:00 - 13:30 [Room 5]

GenDx : Accurate Strategies for HLA typing and Chimerism Monitoring
Wednesday 4th October 13:30 - 14:00 [Room 5]

StemCell: Cell Isolation for HLA Crossmatch Assays and Chimerism Analysis

Page 37 of 66

About Leamington Spa

An elegant town in the heart of south Warwickshire, Leamington Spa was
originally known as ‘Leamington Priory’, a tiny village until about 1800. In
1784, the town began rediscovering its saline springs and began building
baths around some of them, becoming a popular area for leisure time.

Leamington Spa was named after the river Leam, which runs through the
town. It boasts dramatic Regency architecture, consisting of wide
boulevards, Georgian and Victorian architecture and award winning
parks.

Leamington Spa is situated on the banks of the river Leam, where the
“Elephant Walk” can be found. This 19th century slipway down to the
river was constructed so that circus elephants could be bathed.

Interesting Facts about Leamington Spa:

Elephant Walk
Take a walk along the Elephant Trail and follow in the
footsteps of the world famous elephant trainer Sam
Lockhart to see where Sam and the elephants lived and
performed.

Sir Frank Whittle, 1907 - 1996
Sir Frank Whittle, the inventor of the jet engine, gained most of his
engineering knowledge from working in his father’s workshop, the
Leamington Valve and Piston-Ring Co. on Clinton Street in Leamington
Spa by making slots in valve stems as a young boy. He went on to study
at Leamington College and spent many hours in the old town library
reading about astronomy, engineering and physiology. After joining the
RAF as an apprentice at sixteen, Frank subsequently was provided a
place at the RAF College Cranwell as a flight lieutenant. Through his
years in the RAF, Frank learnt how to fly every aircraft and in 1934 he
attended Peterhouse College in Cambridge and gained First Class
Honours in the Mechanical Science Tripos. 1938 saw the work on Frank’s
jet engine move to Lutterworth and in 1941 the world’s first jet aircraft,
the Gloster E28, made it’s maiden flight from Cranwell. Frank Whittle was
decorated and honoured as the working-class Leamington ‘lad’ whose
invention changed the way in which we travel. A blue plaque is
displayed on 9 Victoria Street, Leamington Spa in memory of Sir Frank
Whittle.

Page 38 of 66

Sir Bernard Spilsbury, 1877 – 1947
Sir Bernard Spilsbury was born in the flat above his father’s shop at 35
Bath Street, Leamington Spa. Born to the manufacturing chemist James
Spilsbury, Bernard Henry Spilsbury would later become Britain’s most
eminent forensic pathologist and in 1923, be the recipient of a
knighthood. After leaving his laboratory in 1922, Bernard became the
foremost medical detective of his day, giving evidence for the Crown in
over 200 murder trials in England over a 30 year period. A blue plaque is
displayed in memory of Sir Bernard Spilsbury at the chemist’s shop at 35
Bath Street where he was born.

Places of Interest:

Jephson Gardens
The Jephson Gardens, named in 1846 after resident surgeon and
infamous practitioner Doctor Henry Jephson, is an award-winning
beautiful formal Victorian park located in the centre of Leamington Spa.
It boasts both native and imported unusual species of trees; colourful
flower beds and the glasshouse which is home to a range of beautiful
tropical and temperate plants including a banana tree. It is perfect for
a relaxing stroll.

The Royal Pump Rooms
Redeveloped in the late 1900’s, the Royal Pump Rooms once contained
the finest spa baths and assembly rooms. Now, it is home to Leamington
Spa Art Gallery & Museum, Leamington Library and Visitor Information
centre. The building occupies a landmark site at the bottom of The
Parade, which connects Leamington’s new town to the old town on the
south bank of the river Leam.

Victoria Park
Victoria Park was opened to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in
1899 as part of the corporation’s plan to provide more recreation space.
Throughout the 19th century, it was Leamington’s Village Green, the
venue for Galas, military parades, flower shows, circuses and the
occasional game of cricket.

Welches Meadow
Welches Meadow is a flood meadow on the south bank of the River
Leam. It is particularly valuable insect and wildlife, especially butterflies
and dragonflies.

Page 39 of 66

Conference Information

Registration and Information Desk

The Registration and Information Desk is located outside the Maple Suite
which contains the exhibition area.

Opening times of the Registration and Information Desk:

Tuesday 3rd October 08:00 - 18:00

Wednesday 4th October 08:30 - 17:30

Contact numbers during the Conference:

Woodland Grange: 01926 310 535

Conference Registration Desk: 07765 067 306

Conference and Exhibition venues:

All conference sessions will take place in the Redwood Suite.

The exhibition and refreshments will be in Maple Suite.

All posters will be displayed in Room 19.

If you are attending one of the lunchtime sessions, you can take your
lunch into the room with you. Please see the conference programme for
room details.

Breakfast for all delegates staying overnight at the venue will be served
in the restaurant.

The Conference Dinner will take place in the restaurant.

Mobile Phones

In consideration of other conference participants and speakers,
delegates are requested to switch off all mobile phones during
conference presentations.

Page 40 of 66

Photography at the conference
Photography during the conference sessions is not permitted.
Presentations are the property of the speakers. Copies of presentations,
subject to consent from the speaker, will be available on the BSHI
website after the conference. A photographer will be taking
photographs during the conference, including break times, exhibitor
reception and the conference dinner. If you do not wish to have your
photograph taken, please speak to a member of staff on the
conference registration desk.
CPD Certificates
Your feedback about this year's conference is important to the
organisers to help shape the format and content of next year's
conference. Your CPD certificate will be issued on completion of an
electronic feedback questionnaire. A link will be emailed to you shortly
following the conference.
Exhibitor Presentations:
This year, we have four lunchtime trade workshops. We encourage you
to attend and support our trade. If you are attending one of the
lunchtime sessions, you can take your lunch into the room with you.
Please see the conference programme for room details.
Social Media
Keep up to date with all the conference information on twitter at
@BSHIConference and join in using the hashtag #BSHI2017

Page 41 of 66

Hotel Information

Checking into your accommodation
You can check into your accommodation from 3pm and check out is
10am at the main reception.
Cloakroom and left luggage
Luggage storage is located in reception and is free to use for
guests whilst onsite.
Wireless Internet
WiFi is free throughout the hotel and there is no password required to
log on.
Medical and Fire Procedures
In the event of a fire please evacuate the building as quickly as possible,
following the standard green and white emergency exit signs. If you
require medical assistance please contact the registration desk.
Taxis
Upon request, Woodland Grange reception staff are happy to
arrange taxi’s for guests on departure. Should you wish to book a taxi
yourself, Woodland Grange have recommended the taxi company
Seven - 01926 777 777.

Page 42 of 66

Thanks

The Organising Committee would like to thank the following individuals
who have contributed to BSHI 2017:

Special thanks to all the Speakers and Chairs
Reviewers of Abstracts:

Colin Brown David Briggs Mian Chen

Zareen Deplano Luke Foster Vivien Hanson

Jayne Johnson David Lowe Neema Mayor

Fotini Parthenio Victoria Robertson Olivia Shaw

Judges for the One Lambda and VHBio Young Scientist Award,
Best Oral Presentation and Best Poster:

We’ll keep your identity secret, but you know who you are!

Trade Representative Liaison:

● Rob Cordingley (Alpha Biotech)

Corporate Sponsors:

We would also like to thank all our corporate sponsors, in particular:

● VHBio for sponsoring the Terasaki Lecture, sponsoring the One
Lambda and VHBio Young Scientist Award and providing the
BSHI mugs

● GenDx & Alpha Biotech for sponsoring the travel costs for
Professor Dr Ronald Bontrop

● Takara for sponsoring the lanyards

● Alpha Biotech for sponsoring the pens

● Immucor for sponsoring the pre-dinner refreshments
Page 43 of 66

Exhibition Floor Plan

Page 44 of 66

Exhibiting Companies

Agilent Technologies [Stand 7]

Agilent Technologies has built its reputation on innovation, expertise in
engineering, knowledge and collaboration to bring unmatched, robust
scientific solutions to market. With the acquisition of Dako in 2012, Agilent
Technologies now has the expertise and partnerships to grow in the
clinical research and diagnostics arenas. With the comprehensive Dako
branded portfolio within Flow Cytometry and Specific Proteins, Agilent
Technologies will continue to raise the standards. Agilent Technologies
has a global footprint of more than 12,000 employees in more than 100
countries with an established global reach. Agilent Technologies Dako
branded portfolio are manufactured in Glostrup, Denmark and
Carpinteria, USA.

Alpha Biotech Ltd [Stand 12]

Come and talk to us about a whole range of products from our specialist
suppliers of HLA typing kits, equipment and consumables.

ART ROBBINS INSTRUMENTS – Our long established association with the
many innovative products for serological and molecular HLA typing
continues with this company. Newly manufactured Autoscope stages as
well as fully reconditioned Serum Dispensers and Plate Oilers. Single and
Multi Syringe Dispensers, Complement Cups and Serum Tubes. The
Cobra non-contact dispenser, used for on the fly dispensing into 96, 384
and 1536 PCR trays, will also dispense cells into HLA typing trays.

GenDX NGS reagents for all available platforms using amplification
strategies validated on thousands of samples in many populations over
more than a decade. The extremely efficient workflow keeps pipetting
to a minimum. *

OLERUP SSP – The most complete and up to date range of high and low
resolution SSP typing kits with SCORETM analysis software. *

OLERUP QTYPE – 11 loci typing in 60 minutes. QTYPE uses 4 hydrolysis
probes per well allowing for multiplexing and expansion of typing
resolution as the number of alleles discovered increases. *

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OLERUP – CONEXIO SBT RESOLVER - Olerup has worldwide marketing and
distribution rights for SBT Resolver and Assign TM SBTv471 which includes
analysis of non-coding regions and also GSA analysis. SBT Resolver uses
single tube Locus specific PCR based HLA sequencing based typing
products. A comprehensive range of HARPS ® is available for all HLA loci.

QIAGEN – EZ1 – CE/IVD robotic extraction of DNA from blood and other
tissues.

*A company product expert will be present at the meeting for your
support and information.

Contact: Robert Cordingley Email: [email protected] Web:
www.alphabiotech.co.uk

GenDx [Lunchtime Workshop]

We are a Dutch company in Molecular Diagnostics, focused on
development, production and sales of innovative assays and analysis
software for transplantation medicine and companion diagnostics.
Extensive technical support and educational activities are a substantial
part of our daily contacts with relations in the field.

GenDx is specialized in Sequencing Based HLA typing strategies offering
reagents and software for both Sanger and NGS based approaches. In
2013, GenDx extended their product portfolio with post-transplant or
chimerism monitoring products based on real time PCR. Thanks to its
extensive in-house expertise of own HLA experts, GenDx also offers
custom laboratory services for basic and clinical research organisations.

GenDx organises dedicated HLA-SBT training courses worldwide for lab
directors, managers, scientists and technicians working at tissue typing
laboratories, blood banks and donor registries on a regular basis.
Additionally, webinars, documentation, newsletters, forum and
workshops are part of the GenDx value to intensively share knowledge
with the field. More information can be found on the website
www.GenDx.com

GenDx reagents and software solutions:

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Next Generation Sanger Based HLA QPCR based
Sequencing Typing Chimerism Monitoring

NGSgo® reagents SBTexcellerator® & KMRtype® & KMR-
AlleleSEQR® track®

NGSengine® software SBTengine® KMRengine®

GenDx - Yalelaan 48 - 3584 CM Utrecht - Office +31 30 252 3799 - E-mail:
[email protected]

Illumina [Stand 4 + 5]

Find your match: Ultra-high-resolution HLA typing. Sequencing the HLA
region can provide critical insight into immune disorders. Achieving
high-resolution human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing results with
conventional methods requires multiple assays, systems, and analysis
programs. HLA typing by Illumina’s next-generation sequencing (NGS)
generates unambiguous, phase-resolved HLA typing results using a single
assay, system, and analysis program.

Immucor [Stand 10 + 11]

Immucor is a global provider of transfusion and transplantation
diagnostics. Our transplant diagnostics division provides molecular and
antibody-based assays for HLA compatibility between donors and
recipients. Laboratories all over the world use Immucor products as a
part of determining the best path forward for a transplant recipient and
lowering the probability of rejection. Developing tests to help manage
patients post-transplant is our focused commitment. By providing
clinicians better tools, we can help change the practice of transplant
medicine.

Linkage Biosciences [Stand 15]

We would like to welcome Linkage Biosciences to the One Lambda
family. As brands of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving
science, we are united in our core mission of improving the lives of
transplant patients worldwide. Our commitment is to fulfill the needs of
the transplant laboratory and advancing the science of transplantation.

We accomplish this mission by offering a comprehensive portfolio of HLA
typing and antibody detection products on a broad range of
technologies including serology, ELISA, flow cytometry, SSP, rSSO, SBT,
real-time PCR and NGS.

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Additionally, we provide laboratory instrumentation, and computer
software that are used to simplify and automate testing procedures and
final test evaluations.

Our continued development of quality products is highlighted with
recent product launches: AllType™ NGS for high resolution genotyping
of Class I and Class II loci in a single multiplex reaction; and FlowDSA-XM
that advances the science of crossmatch testing by combining
traditional flow cytometry with microbead technology.

The driving force behind our product development, customer service,
and educational programs, is to provide exceptional support for the HLA
and Transplant community and improve the life of the patients they serve.
Together, One Lambda and Linkage Biosciences look forward to
welcoming our BSHI friends and colleagues to beautiful Leamington Spa.

MC Diagnostics Ltd [Stand 2]

MC Diagnostics Ltd
Automated HLA typing and Antibody Detection

The HISTO SPOT ® SSO System provides a simple, rapid, fully automated
process for HLA typing and HLA Antibody Screening & Identification.

Come and talk to us at STAND 2 about the latest updates and the use of
HISTO SPOT® SSO in adverse drug reaction (ADR) testing.

Miltenyi Biotech [Stand 14]

Miltenyi Biotec is a global provider of products and services that
advance biomedical research and cellular therapy. Our innovative tools
support research at every level, from basic research to translational
research to clinical application. This integrated portfolio enables
scientists and clinicians to obtain, analyze, and utilize the cell. Our
technologies cover techniques of sample preparation, cell isolation, cell
sorting, flow cytometry, cell culture, and molecular analysis. Our more
than 25 years of expertise spans research areas including immunology,
stem cell biology, neuroscience, and cancer, and clinical research
areas like hematology, graft engineering, and apheresis. In our
commitment to the scientific community, we also offer comprehensive
scientific support, consultation, and expert training.

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Today, Miltenyi Biotec has about 2,000 employees at 15 international
locations – all dedicated to helping researchers and clinicians around
the world make a greater impact on science and health.

Omixon [Lunchtime Workshop]

Omixon is a global molecular diagnostics company, headquartered in
Budapest, Hungary, with US offices in Cambridge, MA that
commercializes disruptive technologies for clinical and research
laboratories. Omixon’s flagship product, Holotype HLA™, is the world’s
leading NGSbased HLA genotyping product that delivers the most
accurate high-resolution HLA genotyping available, and is used in more
than 20 hospitals worldwide. Omixon’s research software, HLA Explore™
analyzes data from any sequencing technology and determines HLA
genotypes from Whole Exome/Genome Sequencing experiments.
Omixon maintains an active grant-funded research program with a
product pipeline focused on pre- and post transplantation, and HLA
genotyping applications beyond transplantation.

Pacific Biosciences UK Ltd [Stand 16]
YOUR PARTNER IN LIFE SCIENCE EXPLORATION

PacBio is the leader in long-read sequencing and your partner in life
science research. PacBio® Sequencing Systems provide the most
comprehensive views of genomes, transcriptomes, and epigenomes.
The underlying Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT®) sequencing
technology delivers long continuous reads, high consensus accuracy,
uniform coverage, along with simultaneous epigenetics
characterization. With average read lengths greater than 10 kb, PacBio
long reads reveal a full spectrum of previously unknown genetic
variations, which can provide scientist with invaluable insights into
Immunology.

A greater understanding of human genetics and disease-related
research has fueled the search for a connection between heritability
and immune-related diseases. The well-documented association of the
human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and killer immune
receptor (KIR) with many immune-related diseases have spurred
substantial investments in a variety of advanced sequencing tools and
large cohort studies. However, the fine mapping of causal variants within
MHC or KIR continues to remain an ongoing challenge, limiting our
understanding of the mechanisms leading to immune disease.

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SMRT Sequencing Systems have empowered many scientists to gain
novel insights into the genetic basis of disease heritability and expand
our understanding of human genetic variation. Our tools are not only
ideal for de novo phased assembly of complex immune region
haplotypes, but also provide access to the full spectrum of
polymorphisms across targets of individual immune function genes. With
PacBio long reads, one can now sequence the HLA and KIR gene
amplicons in their entirety within the span of a single read, establishing a
new gold standard in HLA Sequencing.

Promega [Stand 8]

Providing significant advances in science, groundbreaking new
technologies, innovative solutions and technical support to life scientists
in academic, industrial and government laboratories globally,
Promega’s 3,000 plus products span the fields of genomics, protein
analysis and expression, genetic identity, cellular analysis and drug
discovery.

Our employees and products support life scientists asking fundamental
questions about biological processes as well as scientists applying
scientific knowledge to diagnose and treat diseases, discover new
therapeutics and use genetics and DNA testing for human identification.

Promega strives to provide the highest quality products, the best possible
customer service, unsurpassed technical support, and many tools and
resources for scientists online and on mobile platforms.

While our passion is around our opportunity to serve science, we are
conscious of our influence on the environment, the communities in
which we work, and our people. Promega’s success directly correlates
to the investments we make in each of these relationships and our efforts
in sustainable practices, innovation, and civic engagement foster long-
term economic growth and provide value for our communities.

Originally, founded in 1978 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, Promega has
branches in 16 countries and more than 50 global distributors serving 100
countries.

Please visit our website: www.promega.com

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