Mission possible – delivering translational impact is an international symposium organised together with the Finnish Cancer Institute. It will be held in Helsinki, Finland, on 25–26 September 2025. We expect around 300 participants to attend this multidisciplinary scientific event, which will bring together both clinical and experimental research experts.
Topics include: Translational clinical trials – Spatial Biology: biomarkers for precision oncology – Liquid biopsies – Translational tumor biology – AI in precision oncology
Preliminary Programme
8:00-9:00 Coffee
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Session 4: From bench to bedside
Chairs: Päivi Ojala and Anniina Färkkilä
9:00-10:00 Invited talks
Metabolic rewiring driving metastasis formation
Sarah-Maria Fendt, VIB Center for Cancer Biology
Harnessing cancer and immune cell communication to identify new therapeutic targets
Elisa Oricchio, ISREC – Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, EPFL
Transcriptional determinants of carcinogenesis
Sakari Vanharanta, University of Helsinki
10:00-10:20 Two selected talks from abstracts
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10:20-11:00 Coffee break and exhibition
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Session 5: Precision cancer medicine
Chairs: Caroline Heckman and Sirpa Leppä
11:00-12:00 Invited talks
A new lens on precision medicine… guiding therapy through single-cell direct response testing
Philipp Staber, Saarland University
Integrating Genomics and Biomarkers for Patient Selection in Phase I Precision Oncology Trials
Kristoffer Rohrberg, University Hospital of Copenhagen
Does precision cancer medicine benefit patients when standard therapy has failed? Experiences from the FINPROVE study
Katriina Jalkanen, Helsinki University Central Hospital
12:00-12:10 Selected talk from abstracts
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12:10-12:20 Poster prizes and conclusion of the symposium
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12:20 Lunch and farewell
8:00-9:00 Registration and coffee
9:00 Symposium opening words
9:10-9:55 Keynote
Highly multiplexed spatial profiling for discovery and diagnosis
Peter Sorger, Harvard Medical School
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Session 1: Spatial biomarkers for precision oncology
Chairs: Anniina Färkkilä and Tuomas Mirtti
9:55-10:30 Invited talks
Ex vivo venetoclax sensitivity predicts treatment response in acute myeloid leukemia
Mika Kontro, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center
Spatial transcriptomics reveals mechanisms of macrophage-targeting immunotherapy
Maija Hollmén, Medicity, University of Turku
10:25-10:50 Coffee break, posters and exhibition
10:50-11:25 Invited talks
Spatial proteomics for next generation pathology
Leeat Keren, Weizmann Institute of Science
Transforming cancer tissue assessments with AI-based virtual staining
Leena Latonen, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland
11:25-11:45 Two selected talks from abstracts
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11:45 Lunch
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Session 2: Clinical implications of liquid biopsies
Chairs: Sirpa Leppä and Esa Pitkänen
13:15-14:15 Invited talks
What the blood tells us: Decoding B-cell lymphomas with liquid biopsy
Stefan Alig, University Hospital Essen
Treatment-driven evolution in prostate cancer
Matti Nykter, University of Tampere
Towards multi-modal liquid biopsy
Florent Mouliere, University of Manchester
14:15-14:35 Two selected talks from abstracts
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14:35-15.15 Coffee break, posters and exhibition
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Session 3: Enhancing clinical impact
Chairs: Anniina Färkkilä and Thomas Hackman
15:15-15:35 Invited talk
Patient perspectives on data sharing and data governance: expectations, trust and roles
Jan Geissler, Patvocates
15:35-16:05 Panel discussion
Panelists:
Kimmo Porkka, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Central Hospital
Mirjami Tran Minh, Finnish Cancer Center FICAN
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16:05-16:30
Conclusion of the Day 1 and group photo
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16:30 Poster session
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18:30 Dinner
Venue
Little Finlandia
Located in the heart of Helsinki, the Little Finlandia (Karamzininranta 4, 00100 Helsinki) offers easy access and beautiful views of a scenic park and Töölönlahti Bay.
There are easy and frequent public transport connections from the airport, bus and train stations. Tram and bus stops are in the immediate vicinity of the house. Next to the Finlandia building there is a parking garage, Aimo Park, with the following lift connections: Karamzininranta 2 and the elevator hall of the Finlandia Hall building (closest to Little Finlandia). The drive to the parking garage takes place via Karamzininranta. Parking is available for a fee.
Dinner will be served at Hesperia Ballroom at the Crowne Plaza Helsinki (Mannerheimintie 50, 00260 Helsinki).
Registration
Registration is open until 3.9.2025. The deadline for the call of abstracts is 15.8.2025.
Register here.
Symposium fees
Please note that a registration fee of 35€ is required from all the participants to attend the event. For the sponsors, the registration fee is included in the sponsorship agreement. The registration fee covers two lunches, coffee breaks, and cloak room services during the symposium.
A dinner fee of 30€ applies if you wish to join the dinner on 25.9.
Credits
The symposium is suitable as a theoretical course-based training in the fields of pathology, clinical hematology, and oncology, with a duration of 8 hours at the University of Helsinki. The training can also be included in the theoretical studies of a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Philosophy degree, corresponding to 0.7 ECTS credits.
Please come back for updates!
Sponsors
Join us in supporting innovation and collaboration at Mission Possible. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact us at ican-symposium@helsinki.fi.
The exhibition area will be located in the Little Finlandia foyer.
Organisers
Scientific Organizing Committee
Anniina Färkkilä (Chair), Assoc. Prof., University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital
Sirpa Leppä (Chair), Professor, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital
Caroline Heckman, Research Director, University of Helsinki
Tuomas Mirtti, Professor, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital
Päivi Ojala, Professor, University of Helsinki
Esa Pitkänen, FIMM-EMBL Group Leader, University of Helsinki
Thomas Hackman, iCAN Patient and Citizen Advisory Board
Tiina Vesterinen, Managing Director, Finnish Cancer Institute
iCAN core
Helene Wahl, Satu Sankkila, Marketta Liljeström
Contact
We are happy to answer your questions at ican-symposium@helsinki.fi