February 3 - 5, 2008
Omni San Diego Hotel
San Diego, California
CONFERENCE CHAIRPERSONS:
Rakesh Kumar, UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Alan Hall, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Cancer is a disease in which many of the characteristics of normal cell behavior are lost or perturbed. Uncontrolled cell proliferation and inappropriate cell survival are common features of all cancers, but in addition defects in cellular morphogenesis that lead to tissue disruption, the acquisition of inappropriate migratory and invasive characteristics and the generation of genomic instability through defects in mitosis also play important roles in the progression of the disease. This AACR Special Conference was focused on the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons - key players underpinning many of the cellular process relevant to cancer.
Actin and tubulin form highly versatile, dynamic polymers that can organize cytoplasmic organelles and intracellular compartments, define cell polarity, and generate both pushing and contractile forces. Therefore, it is not surprising that they are key players in many processes in cell biology. In the cell cycle, these two cytoskeletal structures drive chromosomal separation and cell division. During morphogenesis, they determine cell shape and polarity, and promote stable cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesions through their interactions with cadherins and integrins, respectively. Finally, during cell migration they generate protrusive forces at the front and retraction forces at the rear. These are all aspects of cell behavior that often go awry in cancer.
This conference brought together those interested in understanding the contribution of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons to the cell biology of cancer.
Please visit the AACR Meetings & Workshops Calendar for a complete list of upcoming programs.