MEETING ON CELL DEATH AND CANCER

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Support is requested for a scientific meeting organized by the American Association for Cancer Research, Inc. (AACR). The conference entitled, "Cell Death and Cancer," will be held at the Chatham Bars Inn in Chatham, Massachusetts, on October 17-21, 1993. The Program Committee for this conference consists of Drs. Alan R. Eastman, Chairperson and Principal Investigator; Nathan Berger, H. Robert Horvitz, John Isaacs, Stanley Korsmeyer, Thomas R. Tritton, and Andrew Wyllie. In addition to the members of the Program Committee, the invited speakers are well-known, distinguished investigators in this field. Speakers will make 30- to 60- minute presentations. Approximately 150-175 other conference registrants will have the opportunity to present their own novel work during poster sessions. Much of the molecular understanding of cancer has arisen from identification and analysis of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, the aberrant expression of which lead to increased cell growth. It has become increasingly evident over the past several years, that tumors are not just a reflection of the rate of cell growth but also the rate of cell death. This position was highlighted by the observation that bcl-2 oncogenes prevented cells from dying. The type of cell death prevented is known as apoptosis, which is defined by morphology, by a characteristic pattern of DNA digestion and by the apparent requirement for protein synthesis. Other genes are now being identified that can also prevent apoptosis. This has provided a tremendous impetus to understand the process of apoptosis; a pathway first identified in 1972, but which has received little general interest until these recent findings. This meeting is designed to bring together for the first time individuals from diverse areas of research, and to let them benefit from a comprehensive, yet in depth analysis of the many facets of apoptosis. It will build upon the premise that apoptosis is a well established phenomenon, and will therefore focus mainly on the genes, proteins signals that regulate the pathways, and discuss how it might be modulated with potent for therapeutic gain. This will be the first ever meeting dedicated to the subject of apoptosis and that is open to all investigators. Previous meetings have been by invitation only or have devoted only a single session to this topic.