VIB is pleased to announce the second edition of the VIB Conference ‘Tumor heterogeneity, plasticity and therapy’. Which will take place on 3-4 October in picturesque Leuven, Belgium. The organizing committee has assembled a packed program for you featuring key scientists, selected talks, poster sessions including the Nature Poster Prize, and social activities.
The program focus of this edition
Tumors are complex and evolving ecosystems composed of a wide variety of cell types, in addition to the cancer cells themselves. Increasing evidence indicates that the bi-directional interplay between tumor cells and their tumor microenvironment shape tumor evolution and therapy resistance.
Within a tumor, many cancer cells differ from each at the (epi-)genomic, transcriptional, and proteomic level, as well as phenotypically and functionally. Tumor heterogeneity represents a major hurdle for therapy, which may only target a subset of tumor cells. In addition, cancer cell plasticity permits rapid adaption to therapeutics and the development of tolerance and resistance, presenting additional challenges for both targeted and immunotherapies.
Chris Marine, OC member and co-director of the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology, explains what he's looking forward to:
“We now know that cancer cells can change their identity to hide from the immune system and evade therapy. This exciting event will bring together experts in the field thinking about innovative therapies that contend with, or even exploit, this “chameleonic” behavior of cancer cells. I cannot wait to hear their thoughts on this exciting topic!”.
A stacked speaker line-up
During this conference, a range of world leaders from academia and industry will discuss the latest developments in basic research, translational and clinical research, and therapeutic avenues.
The list of top speakers include:
- Dana Pe'er (Keynote)
- Sean Morrison (Keynote)
- Yardena Samuels
- Leila Akkari
- Fred de Sauvage
- Toshiro Sato
- and many more
Check out the rest of the speakers and other program info here:
