Here, we are – the Irish neuroblastoma research team landed at the 5th Neuroblastoma Research Symposium in Cambridge. Four poster presentations by four enthusiastic scientists. The two days crash course in neuroblastoma – vibrant, intense, informative.
I had one of the most enjoyable poster sessions in the last few years! A genuine interest in our 3D in vitro cancer models by both academics and Industry. Hope, to keep the ball rolling and strengthen these new links.
The Symposium programme was an excellent balance of the new transnational outcomes with hardcore developmental cellular programmes. From ‘How neuronal precursors select their fate and how they can escape the developmental constraints? How this knowledge can help to advance our understanding of neuroblastoma aetiology?’ to ‘New drugs that demonstrated great potency in pre-clinical studies’ via ‘how we can work together more efficiently to progress quicker’
Indeed, the success of the research meeting became possible thanks to the strategic vision and leadership of organisers!
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME
THURSDAY 11TH APRIL
12:00 – 13:00 Registration, lunch & poster setup
13:00 – 13:10 Introduction – Neuroblastoma UK & CRUK Cambridge Centre
Session 1: Neuroblastoma biology & prognosis
Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre Neuro-oncology Programme Session
Chair: Kate Wheeler (Oxford Children’s Hospital)
13:10 – 13:40 Sandra Ackermann (Cologne): The genetic basis of favourable outcome and fatal tumour progression in neuroblastoma
13:40 – 14:10 Rogier Versteeg (Amsterdam): The dark side of neuroblastoma
14:10 – 14:40 Katleen de Preter (Ghent): Improved diagnosis and risk stratification of paediatric cancers using liquid biopsies
14:40 – 14:55 Sue Burchill (Leeds): Self-renewing neuroblastoma cells isolated from bone marrow aspirates of children with stage M disease share a mesenchymal expression signature: an NCRI CCL CSG Neuroblastoma Group Study
14:55 – 15:15 Combined discussion
15:15 – 15:45 Tea with Posters
Session 2: Targeted & combination therapy I
Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre Neuro-oncology Programme Session
Chair: Marie Arsenian Henriksson (Karolinska)
15:45 – 16:15 Frank Westermann (Heidelberg): Novel metabolic dependencies of MYCN-driven neuroblastoma
16:15 – 16:45 Gerard Evan (Cambridge): Is Myc really master of the universe?
16:45 – 17:00 Melinda Halasz (University College Dublin): Anti-Cancer Effects of Diphenyleneiodonium Chloride (DPI) In MYCN-Amplified Neuroblastoma
17:00 – 17:15 Evon Poon (ICR, Sutton): Pharmacological blockade of high-risk MYCN driven neuroblastoma using an orally-bioavailable CDK2/9 inhibitor
17:15 – 17:35 Combined discussion
Downing College – Main Hall.jpg
17:35 – 19:15 Poster viewing & Drinks
19:30 Symposium Dinner at Downing College (map for dinner)
FRIDAY 12TH APRIL
08:30 – 08:50 Coffee & pastries
Session 3: Neural crest & differentiation therapy I
Chair: Margareta Wilhelm (Karolinska)
08:50 – 09:20 Igor Adameyko (Karolinska): Normal development of sympathoadrenal system resolved with lineage tracing and single cell transcriptomics
09:20 – 09:50 Quenten Schwarz (Adelaide): Guiding sympathoadrenal neural crest cells to the adrenal primordia
09:50 – 10:05 Claudia Linker (King’s College London): Notch coordinates cell cycle progression and migratory behaviour leading to collective cell migration
10:05 – 10:20 Combined discussion
10:20 – 10:50 Coffee with Posters
Session 4: Neural crest & differentiation therapy II
Chair: Gareth Evans (York)
10:50 – 11:20 Karen Liu (King’s College London): ALK and GSK3 – shared features of neuroblastoma and neural crest
11:20 – 11:35 Anestis Tsakiridis (Sheffield): Efficient generation of trunk neural crest and sympathetic neurons from human pluripotent stem cells via a neuromesodermal progenitor intermediate
11:35 – 12:05 Anna Philpott (Cambridge): Using developmental mechanisms to drive differentiation of neuroblastoma
12:05 – 12:20 Combined discussion
12:20 – 13:20 Lunch with Posters
Session 5: Targeted & combination therapy II
Chair: Bengt Hallberg (Gothenburg)
Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre Paediatrics Programme Lecture:
13:20 – 13:50 Sharon Diskin (Philadelphia): A multi-omic surfaceome study identifies DLK1 as a candidate oncoprotein and immunotherapeutic target in neuroblastoma
13:50 – 14:05 Donne Nile (Glasgow): Manipulation of cancer cell metabolism for neuroblastoma combination therapy with targeted radiotherapy
14:05 – 14:35 Suzanne Turner (Cambridge): CRISPR-dCas9 screens to identify resistance mechanisms to ALK in neuroblastoma
14:35 – 14:50 Combined discussion
14:50 – 15:20 Tea with Posters
15:20 – 15:30 Poster prizes
Session 6: Targeted & combination therapy III
Chair: John Lunec (Newcastle)
15:30 – 16:00 Per Kogner (Karolinska): The PPM1D encoded WIP1 phosphatase is an oncogene significant for cancer development and tumour progression and a druggable therapy target in neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma. A hint as to how aggressive childhood cancer manages with wild-type p53
16:00 – 16:15 Deb Tweddle (Newcastle): Preclinical assessment of MDM2/p53, ALK and MEK inhibitor combinations in neuroblastoma
16:15 – 16:30 Sally George (ICR, Sutton): A CRISPR-Cas9 genomic editing and compound screening approach identifies therapeutic vulnerabilities in the DNA damage response for the treatment of ATRX mutant neuroblastoma
16:30 – 16:45 Miriam Rosenberg (Jerusalem): Expression- and immune-profiling of neuroblastoma-associated Opsoclonus Myoclonus Ataxia Syndrome (OMAS) to identify features of auto- and tumour-immunity
16:45 – 17:00 Combined discussion
17:00 Close
