Asset 2 Conferences
Cancer Biology

Tumor Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Therapy (2nd edition)

3-4 October 2023, Leuven, Belgium
The conference is sold-out!
Tumor Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Therapy - campaign visual

Tumor Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Therapy (2nd edition)

Tumor Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Therapy (2nd edition)

The conference is sold out!

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We are pleased to announce the second edition of the VIB Conference ‘Tumor heterogeneity, plasticity and therapy’. Which will take place in picturesque Leuven, Belgium.

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.

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.

Travel grants
We offer 4 travel grants to international PhD students, which will reimburse travel costs up to 400 Euros. The deadline to participate is 11 July 2023. The organizing committee notified the grant winners.

Poster information
The format for your poster should be A0 (841 x 1189 mm / 33.1 x 46.8 in), portrait orientation. All accepted poster submissions will have a chance to win the Nature Poster Prize!

Host City: Leuven
Want to know more about the host city of this conference? Find out where the best restaurants, bars, or last-minute print shops are. Check the city page here.

Meet the Editor
During the reception on 3 October, we will organize a Meet the Editor session with Safia Danovi - Nature Genetic, UK, Ulrike Harjes - Nature Medicine, DE and Barbara Marte - Nature, UK, for registered attendees.

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Confirmed speakers

Leila Akkari
Akkari Leila - profile picture
Leila Akkari

Leila Akkari

Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Oncode Institute. Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), NL

Program

Day 1 - Tuesday, 03 October, 2023

08:15
08:45
Registration & coffee
08:45
08:55
Welcome
08:55
09:40
Keynote
08:55
09:40
Mechanisms that regulate melanoma metastasis

Sean Morrison

UT Southwestern Medical Center – Children’s Research Institute, US
09:40
12:35
Session 1: Adaptation and resistance to immuno-therapies
09:40
10:10
Dissecting and modulating antitumor immunity in human cancers
10:10
10:25
The generation of cancer-specific ribosomes by the lncRNA LISR suppresses melanoma anti-tumour immunity

Eleonora Leucci

KU Leuven, BE
Selected from abstracts
10:25
11:00
Coffee break
11:00
11:30
Harnessing innate immunity in cancer therapy

Eric Vivier

Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy (CIML), FR
11:30
12:00
Modulating the vascular immune microenvironment to boost immunotherapy
12:00
12:30
Somatic mutations in tumors and normal tissues
12:30
12:35
Uncovering Tumor Heterogeneity Using Advanced Single Cell Multi-Omics

Petro Leka

Singleron Biotechnologies GmbH, DE
Sponsored talk
12:35
13:30
Lunch
13:30
14:30
Poster session
14:30
16:15
Session 2: Adaptation and resistance to targeted therapies
14:30
15:00
Targeting stem cells and oncogenic drivers in colorectal cancer
15:00
15:30
Progressive plasticity drives poor outcomes in metastatic colorectal cancer
15:30
15:45
Spatial analysis of local drug effects in tumor microenvironment predicts effective treatment combinations in breast cancer

Zuzana Tatarova

Oregon Health & Science University, US; Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, US; German Cancer Research Center DKFZ, DKTK partner site Frankfurt/Mainz, Georg-Speyer-Haus, DE
Selected from abstracts
15:45
16:20
Coffee break
16:20
18:05
Session 3: Heterogeneity and reprogramming of the Tumor (immune) microenvironment (TIME)
16:20
16:50
Cell migration and stromal cells sculpt evolutionary trajectories
16:50
17:20
Dissecting and Rewiring Immune Cell Heterogeneity in the Cancer Ecosystem: Myeloid Cells at Play

Leila Akkari

Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, Oncode Institute. Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), NL
17:20
17:35
High-resolution molecular atlas of a lung tumor in 3D

Tancredi Massimo Pentimalli

Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max-Delbrück-Centrum, DE
Selected from abstracts
17:35
18:05
The neural regulation of cancer
18:05
19:00
Reception & Meet the Editor
20:00
Conference dinner

additional fee

Day 2 - Wednesday, 04 October, 2023

08:30
08:55
Coffee
08:55
09:40
Keynote
08:55
09:40
The causes and consequences of cellular plasticity and tumor progression
09:40
12:35
Session 4: Plasticity in initiation, progression and metastasis (part 1)
09:40
10:10
Melanoma cell fate – from the inside and the outside
10:10
10:40
Cell state dynamics and plasticity in tumorigenesis and drug resistance
10:40
10:55
RNA allelic frequencies of somatic mutations encode substantial functional information in cancers

James Black

Cancer Genome Evoluition Group, UCL Cancer Institute, GB; Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Group, Francis Crick Institute, GB
Selected from abstracts
10:55
11:30
Coffee break
11:30
12:00
Stromal and immune plasticity shape the metastatic microenvironment
12:00
12:30
Revisiting the neoantigen approach to cancer immunotherapy

Yardena Samuels

Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, IL
12:30
12:35
See biology at true resolution with 10X Genomics' single cell and spatial solutions
Sponsored talk
12:35
13:30
Lunch
13:30
14:30
Poster session
14:30
17:35
Session 4: Plasticity in initiation, progression and metastasis (part 2)
14:30
15:00
Biological understanding of patient-derived cancers using organoid technology
15:00
15:30
Principles of skin dynamics and function captured by imaging live mice
15:30
15:45
Field cancerization in mammary tissue is driven by protection mechanisms that clear mutations
Selected from abstracts
15:45
15:50
Mapping the Future with Spatial Genomics

Mitesh Parekh

Inside Sales Representative, Vizgen, US
Sponsored talk
15:50
16:25
Coffee break
16:25
16:55
Evolution of Central Nervous System Metastases and Therapeutic Implications
16:55
17:25
Cancer genes beyond chromosomes
17:25
17:35
Closing words

Organizing committee

Abstracts

The full list of abstracts will be available on 19-09-2023 until 18-10-2023
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.

Attendees

The full list of attendees will be available on 19-09-2023 until 18-10-2023
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.