Paphos
Oct 2024
Tumor Microenvironment and Cellular Stress
The International Conference on Tumor Microenvironment and Cellular Stress (TMCS 2024) took place in the scenic coastal town of Paphos, Cyprus, from October 28 to November 2, 2024, bringing together a gathering of 100 leading scientists, experts, and trainees from 16 countries, including the U.S., Japan, Germany, and Australia.
Held at the Coral Beach Hotel & Resort, TMCS 2024 offered participants access to fully-equipped conference rooms with Mediterranean views, creating an ideal environment facilitating dynamic discussions.
Organized by Costas Koumenis(University of Pennsylvania), Sandra Ryeom(Columbia University), Amir Abdollahi (German Cancer Research Center), and Albert Koong (MD Anderson Cancer Center), with local assistance from Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos (University of Cyprus), Erato Stylianou Markidou (Bank of Cyprus Oncology Center), and Maria A. Tsiarli (Brown University), the conference provided a platform for experts to present ground-breaking discoveries, transformative ideas, and promising technologies set to shape the future of therapeutic interventions.
The conference was structured into eight sessions, each emphasizing crucial aspects of tumor microenvironments and cellular stress. Among the highlights were:
The opening session focused on aberrant metabolism in tumor-stroma interactions, with Costas Lyssiotis, Lauren Colbert, Catherine Cook, Thales Papayiannakopoulos, and Marianne Koritzinsky examining several aspects, such as the role of lactic acid bacteria and cysteamine dioxygenase. Other sessions explored immune landscapes in tumors and immune evasion tactics, where notable experts like Rumela Chakrabarti, Malay Haldar, Viraj Sangvi, Irfan Asangani, Rami Aqeilan, David Piwnica-Worms, Camilla Wolowczyk, Yuki Mochida, David Soto-Pantoja, and Helen Piwnica-Worms assessed features, such as immune suppression in liver cancer and radioprotection.
Discussions on Integrated Stress Response and the Unfolded Stress Response, led by Rob Rottapel, Kirk Staschke, Xi Chen, Dadi Jiang, Manon Nivet, Nora Kiledjian, and Prithvi Sinha brought light to elements, such as stress adaptation in therapy-resistant cancers.
In the session dedicated to brain and neuroendocrine tumors, Georgio Seano, Costas Hadjipanayis, Ivana Dokic, Yi Fan, Diana Shi, Hiroaki Kinoh, Mariam El-Ashmawy, and Lenka Munoz presented pioneering work on facets, such as CAR therapy for brain tumors and new therapies for KRAS-amplified gastroesophageal cancers.
Attendees were also treated to career retrospectives and mentorship advice from radiobiologists like Amato Giaccia, Ester Hammond, Nic Denko, G-One Ahn, Eujung Moon, and Nektarios Kostopoulos, whose talks on hypoxia and immune suppression sparked engaged dialogue.
In-depth explorations of cancer radiotherapy featured experts Nicolaos Zamboglou, James Metz, Julie Schwartz, Ramesh Rengan, Andrea Mairan, Edgar Ben-Josef, Constantinos Zamboglou, Vedang Murthy, Dimitrios Vomvas discussing multiple features, like the advances in proton therapy and radiotherapy, while the final sessions examined the influence of tumor hypoxia and tumor stroma on therapy response, led by Li Ma, Ioannis Zervantonakis, Loukia Karacosta, Fotios Mpekris, Horacio Cabral, Motohiro Kojima, Maria Kalli, and Sandra Ryeom.
In addition to the sessions, the conference featured a poster session where attendees could showcase their research and engage in discussions with other participants.
Beyond the academic part, attendees discovered Cyprus’s culture and scenic beauty through several engaging social events, allowing for bonding. These included a welcome reception at the venue hotel, a local wine-tasting event featuring Cypriot wines such as Xynisteri and Lefkaritico, a cultural tour of Paphos’s historic Tombs of the Kings, and captivating mosaics, and Paphos Castle, a boat trip to the famous Blue Lagoon, and a farewell gala dinner.
TMCS 2024 was made possible through the generous support of numerous institutions and organizations. The Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, played a crucial role in supporting the event, along with Artidis, a nanotechnology platform for tissue analysis, and Xstrahl, a leader in radiation equipment. The Cyprus Biological Society and the Cyprus Association of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering added local expertise, while the Campbe organization contributed too. Major local supporters included the Costas Papaellinas Group, Raymed Medical Technology, the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation, the Cyprus Ministry of Tourism, and the Chief Scientist for Research, Innovation, and Technology. Finally, the German Medical Institute provided further backing.
Easyconferences managed the online registration system and the conference coordination, ensuring a seamless experience for attendees.
Participants are encouraged to share their memorable experiences and insights on social media, connecting with the TMCS 2024 community.
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