Models of Lung Disease 2025

Conference / June 19, 2025 - June 20, 2025

Models of Lung Disease 2025

Connecting innovations and people in lung research

Our annual conference brings together international experts in lung research from academia and industry to discuss and explore the latest developments, innovations and challenges in the fields of:

Human immune-competent models of lung disease
RNA-based technologies in research and drug development
New anti-infective strategies
Understanding and fighting fibrosis

On top of that:

SPRIND: A quantum shift for new antiviral agents - the winning teams
Career talks
Oral presentations by the poster award winners

Find out more in our program below.

Are you interested in presenting your research at Models of Lung Disease 2025? Our poster exhibition is open for contributions related to the aforementioned research areas. Submission deadline: EXTENDED to May 26, 2025. Get more information here.

Event details

Program

Click here to read the program.

Registration

Online registration via the ticketing platform Fienta: To the platform

General terms and conditions / data protection information:

Our general terms and conditions of events
Our Data Protection Information for this registration process.
Please also refer to Fienta's privacy policy and terms of service.

Costs

Early-bird registration until May 16 2025:
- Participant from academia: 400 EUR
- Participant from industry: 500 EUR

Late registration from May 17, 2025:
- Participant from academia: 450 EUR
- Participant from industry: 550 EUR

For DZL members: Please send your request for the limited free codes by June 2, 2025, directly to: lung.ws@item.fraunhofer.de

Fees include the registration for Models of Lung Disease 2025, coffee breaks, lunch and a dinner on June 19.

Location

CRC Hannover - Clinical Research Center Hannover
Feodor-Lynen-Straße 15
30625 Hannover

Date

June 19, 2025 - June 20, 2025

Language

English

Poster session and exhibition

Would you like to present your research in our poster exhibition and session? If so, we would be pleased to receive your abstract! The poster exhibition will be open throughout the entire event. The poster session will provide authors and participants the opportunity for face-to-face discussions.

How to submit?

Please submit your abstract by e-mail to: lung.ws@item.fraunhofer.de.

Submission deadline: EXTENDED to May 26, 2025

All poster abstracts will be published in the printed seminar program.

Requirements for abstracts

Language: English
Please limit your abstract to 250 - max. 350 words of text and don’t include pictures
Title: Please capitalize the first word only (except for names)
Author information e. g.: Last name, first letter of the first name, affiliation, city, country. In case of several affiliations, please mark them with numbers:

Firstauthor F¹, Secondauthor S¹, Thirdauthor T²;
¹Affiliation 1, city, country
²Affiliation 2, city, country

Requirements for posters

Maximum size: 1.15 meters (width) by 1.45 meters (height)
Format: portrait (landscape is only possible, if the poster width does not exceed 1.15 meters)
Language: English

Additional information

Upon your arrival, please contact the registration desk to find out where to pin up your poster. Please mount your poster before the start of the seminar lectures.
Posters must be collected at the end of this event. The organizers reserve the right to remove and destroy posters that are not collected in time.

Registration required

Please note: Abstracts can only be accepted if at least one author of the poster has registered for Models of Lung Disease. Presenting authors are not automatically registered with abstract submission. Poster presenters must be present in the exhibition area during the poster session.

Poster Award

The best posters presented at Models of Lung Disease 2025 will be awarded.
Poster award winners will have the opportunity to present their poster in a 15-minute oral presentation on June 20 (please see the program).

Preliminary program

as of May 21 2025; subject to change without notice

Expand all Close all

Thursday, June 19, 2025

8:45	Welcome Armin Braun, Fraunhofer ITEM (Germany)
Session 1: Human immune competent models of lung disease
9:00	Alveolar organoids with innate and adaptive immunity Linda Steinacher, Roche (Switzerland)
9:30	Functional single cell perturbations in lung tissue slice cultures – understanding chronic lung disease one cell at a time Lena Cords, Helmholtz Munich (Germany)
10:00	The use of human precision cut lung slices for preclinical drug development for airway diseases Katherina Sewald, Fraunhofer ITEM (Germany)
10:30	Coffee
11:00	The clock is ticking: models of lung aging Mareike Lehmann, Philipps University Marburg (Germany)
11:30	Formulation of RNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles as inhalable dry powder Benjamin Winkeljahn, RnHale (Germany)
12:00	Enhancing CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in lung tumor cells: optimization of lipid nanoparticles for potential inhalation therapy Simone Carneiro, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (Germany)
12:30	Lunch
Session 2: RNA based technologies in research and drug development
13:30	Targeted RNA drug delivery – possible new treatment options for severe lung diseases Thomas Frischmuth, RNAtics (Germany)
14:00	mRNA therapy for asthma Christian Plank, Ethris (Germany)
14:30	Coffee
Session 3: SPRIND: A quantum shift for new antiviral agents - the winning teams
15:00	Innovative inhalable RNA to fight viral threats Hasan Issa, AVOCET (Germany)
15:20	iGUARD – next-generation siRNA inhalation therapy for respiratory diseases Philippe Vollmer Barbosa, Fraunhofer ITEM (Germany)
15:40	Engineered lectins as bifunctional tools for enhanced virus retention in mucus: towards novel broad-spectrum antivirals against flu Seray Sahsuvar, Free University Berlin (Germany)
16:00	tbd.
16:20 Poster session - snacks and drinks
Session 4: New anti-infective strategies
17:30	Harnessing nanobody superpowers against the respiratory virus human metapneumovirus Patrice Guillon, Griffith University (Australia)
18:00	Structure-guided anti-parainfluenza drug candidate discovery; from in silico to in vivo Mark von Itzstein, Griffith University (Australia)
18:30	Guided tours to different non-clinical and clinical departments of Fraunhofer ITEM, e. g.: PCLS Lung function and IPL In-vitro inhalation Biomedical engineering CRC Hannover
19:30	Award to the best posters
19:40	Dinner
21:30	Summary and conclusion day 1 Armin Braun, Fraunhofer ITEM (Germany)

Friday, June 20, 2025

8:00	Guided tours to different non-clinical and clinical departments of Fraunhofer ITEM, e. g.: PCLS Lung function and IPL In-vitro inhalation Biomedical engineering CRC Hannover
Session 5: Understanding and fighting fibrosis
9:00	Harnessing the regulatory genome to advance cell state reprogramming in lung disease Alexandra Iouranova, HAYA Therapeutics (Switzerland)
9:30	Leveraging mechanobiology for IPF drug discovery Ramaswamy Krishnan, Mechanobiologix LLC (United States of America)
10:00	Integrating molecular and mechanical biomarkers to reveal the therapeutic potential of anti-fibrotic agents ex vivo Christina Hesse, Fraunhofer ITEM (Germany)
10:30	Coffee
11:00	Nerandomilast – a PDE4B inhibitor for IPF: from preclinical models to successful Phase III Christian Hesslinger, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma (Germany)
11:30	Tankyrase inhibition demonstrates anti-fibrotic effects in preclinical pulmonary fibrosis models Jo Waaler, Oslo University Hospital (Norway)
12:00	Stage-dependent CCN4-mediated fibrogenesis in selective human fibroblasts Sunday Oladipupo, Eli Lilly and Company (United States of America)
12:30	Coffee and regular end
Special session: Career talks and insights into the award-winning posters with refreshments
12:30	Career impulse talk 1 Nico Lachmann, Fraunhofer ITEM and Hannover Medical School (Germany)
12:45	Poster price winner talk 1
13:00	Poster price winner talk 2
13:15	Poster price winner talk 3
13:30	Career impulse talk 2 Carola Voss, Hannover Medical School (Germany)
13:45	End

Sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities

Are you interested in supporting our conference and presenting your company to our audience?

Sponsorship benefits

Your sponsorship of Models of Lung Disease 2025 - a valuable complement to your marketing activities, driving brand awareness, engagement and networking:

Targeted audience: Meet key opinion leaders and professionals from academia and industry in the field of translational respiratory medicine.

Brand visibility: Showcase your portfolio to enhance brand recognition among our audience.

Networking opportunities: Connect with our audience in a friendly atmosphere - our breaks will be taking place in the exhibition area.

Lead generation: Attract new contacts and reach potential customers or project partners through targeted visibility.

Sponsorship offers

	Display of print materials (on a tabletop in the exhibition area)	Exhibition space for displays and print materials (1 table, width 1.40 m; booth width: 2 m	Individual booth (up to 6 sqm)	Your logo in the program booklet, welcome presentation, on the conference poster and website	Ticket(s)
Option 1	X			X	-
Option 2		X		X	1
Option 3			X	X	1

No offer suits you? Individual requirements are negotiable. Please contact us in this case to discuss your opportunities.

In cooperation with

BREATH Hannover/German Center for Lung Research

Find out more...

Lung research at Fraunhofer ITEM

Airway research has been a focus at Fraunhofer ITEM ever since the institute was founded. Read more about our R&D expertise here:

More information

Coming soon: CIMD Symposium RNA-Based Therapeutics

September 10-11, 2025, at Fraunhofer ITEM, Hannover (DE)

More information

More events and where to meet us?

Are you interested in further events in which Fraunhofer ITEM is involved in or participating? Then, please read more in our event calender.

Event calendar

Looking back

Get some impressions of "Models of Lung Disease 2024":

More information

Workshop Alternatives to Animal Testing

November 21, 2025, in Frankfurt (DE)

Contacts

Contact Press / Media

Prof. Dr. Armin Braun

Organizer of Models of Lung Disease

Phone +49 511 5350-263

Send email
armin.braun@item.fraunhofer.de
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Contact Press / Media

Silvia Menezes

Seminar secretary

Phone +49 511 5350-262

Send email
lung.ws@item.fraunhofer.de

Contact Press / Media

Yvonne Höbel

Seminar secretary

Phone +49 511 5350-120

Send email
yvonne.hoebel@item.fraunhofer.de

Contact Press / Media

Judith Oumard

Communications and registration management

Phone +49 511 5350-135

Send email
judith.oumard@item.fraunhofer.de

Contact Press / Media

Dr. Sebastian Konzok

Sponsorships

Phone +49 172 410 7965

Send email
sebastian.konzok@item.fraunhofer.de
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