Eurocan 2015

Dr Peifer discusses what is involved in cancer systems biology, the identification of biologically relevant cancer genome alterations from large-scale sequencing efforts which require a systematic computational data analysis, and his approach to integrate various (epi-) genomic datasets to identify such alterations. He speaks at the 3rd EurocanPlatform Translational Research Course. He explores examples in small cell lung cancer and neuroblastoma, plus the significance to clinical practice, what the next steps will be, what challenges the work faces and what the eventual benefit will be.

Dr Merbl discusses her lab’s research at the 3rd EurocanPlatform Translational Research Course in profiling changes in post-translational modifications (PTM) which allows the precise characterisation of different cancer sub-types, looking at lung adenocarcinoma as an example. Previous work has focused on genomic and transcriptional changes whilst proteomics and the protein modification landscape has remained untouched. She explores the significance this will have on clinical practise, what the next steps are, what obstacles exist to this work and what the eventual benefits will be.

Dr Bouwman describes his talk delivered at the 3rd EurocanPlatform Translational Research Course on the need for mouse models in cancer research, and how these are the best way to investigate the different complex facets of cancer biology. He feels that mouse models will improve the rate of new cancer drugs reaching phase III trials and the market. He also describes the models they have made for breast cancer, what the next steps are for this work, what the obstacles are and what the eventual benefit will be.

Dr Vivanco talks to ecancer at the 3rd EurocanPlatform Translational Research Course about how researchers are trying to determine the basic mechanism of how targeted drugs elicit the response they have in cancer cells. He also discusses comparative pharmacology: the detailed comparison and characterization of multiple selective pharmacological agents of a defined target with distinct mechanisms of action. He describes how they’re currently trying to work on a number of Phase I clinical trials and learn why most trials tend to fail, as well as his work on the response to EGFR inhibitors in EGFR-mutant glioblastoma.

Prof Schilsky describes his talk at the 3rd EurocanPlatform Translational Research Course on what we need to know to establish a diagnosis, to determine a prognosis and select the best treatment for cancer patients, and how the approach to all of these has altered during the genomic era. He also considers what significance this area has for clinical practice, what the next steps are and what obstacles exist.

Dr Bonanni explains the main messages from his talk at the 3rd EurocanPlatform Translational Research Course. He highlights the need for cancer prevention, and the ways to do this in high risk individuals. He looks at the potential significant clinical impact of this field and the next steps.

Dr Gad describes his research investigating inhibitors for DNA repair proteins in cancer cells, at the 3rd EurocanPlatform Translational Research Course. He explains what significance this could have in clinical practise, particularly in terms of developing new drugs for instance with PARP inhibitors at the Helleday Laboratory. He also outlines the next steps and what obstacles they face in this line of research.

Dr Groenendijk goes through the main points of his talk the 3rd EurocanPlatform Translational Research Course, on resistance to targeted therapies in cancer. He emphasises the need for combination therapies over sequential therapies to maximise treatment effectiveness. He explores the clinical significance this research could have, especially in terms of increasing overall survival in patients receiving targeted therapies. He gives examples of drug resistance, such as with vemurafenib in melanoma. He then goes through the next steps this field will take, what obstacles they face and what the eventual benefit will be.

Dr Lehtiö explains how the field of proteomics is beginning to reach the fore of cancer research, at the 3rd EurocanPlatform Translational Research Course. He describes how proteomics can help in understanding how to combine current cancer treatments, what the next steps are in his research and the field in general as well as what the eventual benefit will be.

Dr Milano discusses his talk at the 3rd EurocanPlatform Translational Research Course on the prediction of toxicity in cancer management, using pharmacogenetics. He outlines the possible impacts, including the in the risks of fluoropyrimidines, which are used in colorectal, breast as well as head and neck cancer. He also looks at the next steps in this research, what challenges they face and what the ultimate benefit will be.