American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 2026 Annual Meeting

American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 2026 Annual Meeting is organized by American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) and will be held from May 11 - 15, 2026 at Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center (Boston Convention and Exhibition Center), Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.

Description:
ASGCT's Annual Meeting is the premier event for gene and cell therapy professionals. The meeting is the best place for people in the field to learn from the latest scientific research, stay current on new technologies, and make career-advancing connections with peers.

The ASGCT 2026 Annual Meeting features nine curated program tracks designed to reflect the full breadth of science, technology, clinical application, and policy shaping the field of cell and gene therapy. These tracks span the full CGT ecosystem – from viral and nonviral delivery platforms and gene editing technologies to cell and immune therapies, clinical translation, regulatory strategy and access, artificial intelligence, and career-focused programming.

View Sessions by Track:
Track 1: Viral Vectors + Capsid Engineering
This track explores the design, optimization, and biological performance of viral vectors, particularly AAV and lentivirus, used in gene therapy. Sessions focus on capsid engineering, targeting and detargeting strategies, vector biology, immune interactions, and innovations that improve safety, durability, and tissue specificity.

Track 2: Nonviral Delivery + Synthetic Platforms
Focused on the rapidly expanding world of nonviral gene delivery, this track highlights lipid nanoparticles, synthetic carriers, extracellular vesicles, and oligonucleotide platforms. Sessions examine delivery biology, engineering approaches, safety and tolerability, tissue targeting, and emerging applications across various diseases. 

Track 3: Gene Editing Technologies + In Vivo Engineering
This track covers the full spectrum of genome engineering – from CRISPR-based editing to next-generation editors, recombinases, and homology directed repair (HDR)-based approaches. Emphasis is placed on in vivo editing strategies, precision integration, delivery innovations, translational progress, and real-world disease applications. 

Track 4: Cell + Immune Therapies
Dedicated to cellular immunotherapies and immune effector platforms, this track spans CAR-T, TCR, NK cells, macrophage-based therapies, and stem cell–derived immune products. Sessions explore engineering strategies, manufacturing innovations, allogeneic platforms, solid tumor challenges, and emerging clinical data. 

Track 5: Clinical Translation + Practice
This track connects scientific innovation to real-world patient care. Sessions focus on clinical trial design, redosing strategies, real-world data, implementation, disease-specific clinical advances, and how CGTs are being delivered safely and effectively in practice. 

Track 6: Regulatory Strategy + Access
Centered on the policies and frameworks that shape patient access to CGTs, this track addresses regulatory science, reimbursement, payer strategy, post-approval implementation, patient-focused drug development, and global access models. It examines how regulation, policy, and infrastructure directly influence real-world availability of therapies.

Track 7: AI + Computational Tools
This track highlights the growing role of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computational modeling in CGT discovery, delivery, manufacturing, and clinical optimization. Sessions explore AI-driven design of vectors, nanoparticles, oligonucleotides, clinical prediction tools, and translational analytics.

Track 8: Career + Professional Development
Designed for career growth at every stage, this track features sessions on mentorship, leadership, workforce development, science communication, funding strategy, and career navigation across academia, industry, and government. It provides practical tools to support long-term success in the CGT ecosystem.

Track 9: First-Time Attendees + Early-Career Professionals
This track highlights broadly accessible, educational, and foundational sessions designed to support newcomers to the field and early-career professionals. It includes translational overviews, emerging technologies, cross-cutting topics, and professional development content that provide an on-ramp into CGT science and careers.

Workshops:
Add a specialized deep-dive session to your Annual Meeting experience by registering for a workshop. All workshops are add-ons to your Annual Meeting attendance and require an additional purchase.

Automation in CGT manufacturing: From production to QC 
Automating cell and gene therapy manufacturing is critical to overcome limitations in current manual processes, which are labor-intensive, costly, and prone to variability. Automation can also enhance the reproducibility, scalability, and safety of cell and gene therapy production, ultimately reducing costs and expanding patient access to life-saving treatments. Moreover, automated systems can minimize human error, improve process control, and enable real-time monitoring and adaptive control, leading to more consistent and efficient manufacturing.

This four-hour workshop will explore how automated platforms are reshaping both production and quality control, from end-to-end manufacturing processes to analytical QC. Case studies and technology examples will highlight opportunities and challenges in implementing automated processes, including their role in technology transfer and comparability.

Cell therapy at the clinical frontier: Innovations, automation, clinical translation  
This 4-hour workshop will provide an integrated view of advances across the CAR-T and immune effector cell therapy field, from groundbreaking engineering and manufacturing innovations to clinical translation and patient outcomes. Leading scientists and clinicians will discuss cutting-edge gene editing strategies, scalable production solutions, and the emergence of allogeneic platforms. Importantly, the workshop will connect these technological developments to real-world experiences and data from clinical trials and commercially available therapies. Attendees will gain a balanced perspective on both the scientific progress and clinical impact shaping the next generation of cellular immunotherapies.

Homology-directed repair (HDR) in translation 
Genome editing by homology-directed repair (HDR) has the versatility to make precise single-nucleotide changes, as well as insert large gene cassettes. It has been validated as highly efficient and specific in translationally relevant cell types such as hematopoietic stem cells, T-cells, B-cells, and other stem cell types. This profile distinguishes it from other genome-editing platforms, which are either unable to insert large gene cassettes or have only been tested in cell lines.

This four-hour workshop will bring together a broad set of investigators from across academia and industry who are translating the use of HDR into clinical applications for patients. It will serve as an opportunity to share results and exchange solutions to problems in using HDR to generate transformative cell and gene therapies.

Innovations in targeting and detargeting to enhance viral gene therapy 
Recent research demonstrates that natural cell type selectivity (tropism) of many viruses can be adjusted or “retargeted”. This is accomplished by engineering the viral capsid, envelope, or glycoprotein on infectious virus particles or non-infectious virus-like particles (VLPs). Selectivity can be enhanced by pairing these structural modifications with cell-specific targeting molecules.

In this four-hour workshop, scientists from industry and academia will highlight cutting-edge research to enable targeted delivery to various cell types inside the patient’s body. These innovations are critical to safeguard patients by favoring efficacy and safety over promiscuity and toxicity.

Shared decisions, shared success: Engaging stakeholders in CGT translational research
Patient advocacy groups (PAGs) play a pivotal role in advancing cell and gene therapy development, yet their engagement with research stakeholders is often challenging, especially in the early phases. This four-hour workshop explores how PAGs can meaningfully participate across the translational research spectrum – from preclinical program development to clinical trial implementation – while navigating shared decision-making with academic investigators, industry partners, and government funders. Through didactic talks, diverse perspectives, and interactive panels, the session will highlight strategies, successes, and pitfalls in building collaborative research programs that align scientific progress with patient and family priorities.

G-Rex Grant Tour Boston Symposium: Bridging Patient Impact and Real-World CGT
The Boston G-Rex Grant Tour event is presented in partnership with the American Society for Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT). This symposium will feature perspectives grounded in both patient experience and real-world development challenges. Opening with remarks from Victoria Gray, the session will include interactive “Ask Me Anything” discussions with developers to enable candid exchange on advancing cell and gene therapies.