Marcela Guzman Ayala
Senior Director & Head of In Vitro Pharmacology Molecular Partners AG
Marcela Guzman Ayala leads the In Vitro Pharmacology group at Molecular Partners AG, where she oversees the biology strategy for the company’s pipeline of radioligand therapies and multispecific DARPin T-cell engagers. With over a decade of experience in immuno-oncology, her work focuses on logic-gated and co-stimulatory approaches to enhance the precision and efficacy of immune-based therapies. Marcela earned her Ph.D. in Genetics and Developmental Biology from the University of Geneva, in collaboration with the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research.
Seminars
This expert-led discussion will unpack the unique translational challenges and opportunities for T-cell engagers across oncology and autoimmune indications. Panelists will explore how emerging scientific insights, target biology, and mechanistic understanding can inform smarter therapeutic design, combination strategies, and clinical development pathways for both cytotoxic and tolerability-driven indications.
- How does target biology influence format selection, CD3 affinity tuning, and tissue-selective delivery approaches in solid tumours vs autoimmune tissues?
- What translational tools (e.g., biomarkers, PD readouts, in vitro/in vivo models) are proving most predictive for efficacy and safety in both therapeutic areas?
- What combination strategies are most promising e.g., with checkpoint inhibitors, cytokines, or tolerance inducing agents and how do we time them?
- Where are current translational models falling short, and how can we better model immune engagement, off-tumour effects, and chronic exposure?
- How do we de-risk multi-targeting and immune activation in non-lethal diseases where tolerance, durability, and safety thresholds differ from oncology?
- Selective Tumour Targeting: Conditional Switch-DARPin selectively induces T cell cytotoxicity against dual-TAA expressing tumour cells, sparing single-antigenexpressing cells
- Enhanced T Cell Function: CD2 co-engagement promotes sustained T cell proliferation and prevents T cells dysfunction, supporting durable antitumour responses
- Favorable Safety Profile: In vivo and human whole blood studies show significant tumour regression with minimal cytokine release, highlighting the potential for safe, logic-gated immune activation
