Stem Cells, Senescence and Cancer

Organizer(s): Edison T. Liu, Alan Colman, Curtis C. Harris, Shin-Ichi Nishikawa and Roger R. Reddel

In collaboration with Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and Sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline Singapore

Summary of Meeting:

Stem cells represent a cellular compartment that is partially characterized by regenerative capacity and multipotential differentiation capabilities. In these characteristics, they resemble cancer cells and it is thought that these self-renewing stem cells are at risk for neoplastic transformation by oncogenic mutations. Recently, the same repair, apoptotic and senescence effector mechanisms involved in limiting normal stem cell life span have also been found to be involved in aging and in cancer susceptibility. Studies in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans have implicated free radical production, the rate of cellular metabolism, and DNA repair in the aging of these species which have been corroborated by investigations of mammalian cells and animal models. Further association between stem cell and cancer biology have been buttressed by the identification of putative cancer stem cells in human carcinoma. An in depth discussion of the intersect between stem cell biology, cancer, and senescence is therefore timely. A goal of this symposium is to explore the cancer stem cells in the context of the rapidly advancing understanding of stem cell biology and aging. Activation of telomerase and more rarely a recombinogenic mechanism (Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres; ALT) can maintain telomeres allowing cancer cells to escape senescence. The targeting of cancer stem cells and other telomerase positive cancer cell populations to either die by apoptosis or undergo induced “premature” senescence will a major theme during the last two days of the conference.

Scholarship Deadline: July 25 2005

Discounted Abstract Deadline: July 25 2005

Abstract Deadline: August 8 2005

Discounted Registration Deadline: August 25 2005

We gratefully acknowledge additional support for this conference from:

GlaxoSmithKline Cognition and Neurodegeneration Centre Singapore

We gratefully acknowledge additional in-kind support for this conference from those foregoing speaker expense reimbursements:

ES Cell International Pte Ltd

RIKEN, Center for Developmental Biology

Stem Cells - AlphaMed Press

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