Cellular Quiescence and Tumor Dormancy
Forum Chairs
Forum Description
Cancer dormancy allows tumors to enter remission, and then recur later in life. This meeting would review the quiescent state of normal cells in human tissue and model organisms, models for the study of tumor dormancy, signaling pathways in dormant cells, and strategies for targeting dormant cancer cells.
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Forum Summary
The Forbeck Forum on Cellular Quiescence and Tumor Dormancy was held from November 14 to 17 at the Hilton Denver Inverness, 200 Inverness Drive West in Englewood, CO.
The conference started with introductions and a kick-off definition-of-terminology session in which each participant provided their definitions of key terms including quiescence, G0 and dormancy, leading to a lively discussion.
Each invited participant had 45 minutes and each Forbeck Scholar had 30 minutes for Forbeck Scholars to lead a group discussion related to the conference theme. Thes sessions encouraged lively discussion in a think tank style. At the end of the meeting, in the final session, participants reflected on some of the key take-home points from the meeting.
The presentations focused on quiescence, senescence and dormancy. In session I on the human cell cycle, Sabrina Spencer, Ph.D. discussed her laboratories’ findings on key determinants of reversible versus irreversible cell cycle arrest and measuring the depth of quiescence, as well as time lapse microscopy tools for the response of melanoma cells to BRAF inhibitor treatment. Alexis Barr, Ph.D. described her laboratory’s research combining quantitative, single-cell, timelapse imaging of genetically engineered cell lines with screening, proteomics and bioinformatics analysis to patient data to understand how quiescent cells retain proliferative potential. She described her efforts to benefit cancer patients by pushing dormant cells to senescence, preventing dormant cells from entering the cell cycle, or killing dormant cells with therapies.
Jeanette Cook, Ph.D. described her lab’s research developing a fluorescent reporter that provides information on how long it has been since a cell divided. She also described a new pathway for suppression of DNA replication competence in early quiescence. Guang Yao, Ph.D. shared his laboratory’s research investigating the relationship between quiescence and senescence. His findings show that cells can transition from quiescence to senescence without a need to proliferate, and the transition is regulated by the RB-E2F-CDK network. He argued that there is a continuum of states from cellular quiescence to senescence with mTOR and lysosomal function playing a major role as a regulator of a cell’s position in the continuum.
Session 2 focused on quiescence in model systems and organisms. Andrew Dillin, Ph.D. discussed his lab’s findings from a forward genetic screen in C. elegans that revealed the importance of lysosome damage as a mode for a failure to re-enter the cell cycle in the absence of the unfolded protein response. Dan Gottschling, Ph.D. described studies in yeast that revealed trajectories for aging that highlight the importance of mitochondria and interorganelle communication in the aging process. Mo Motamedi, Ph.D. described his laboratory’s research investigating how fission yeast adapt to changes in available nutrients by entering a quiescent state and the role of heterochromatin factors in quiescence-induced transcriptional silencing. Benjamin Roche, Ph.D. discussed the results of his laboratory’s studies of the genes that are essential specifically in nondividing cells that including proteins involved in transcription, RNA interference, RNA export and metabolic genes.
Session 3 on quiescence, senescence and aging included Darren Baker, Ph.D. discussing senescent cells in organisms, the impact on mice of eliminating senescent cells, and the potential of senolytics for cancer patients. Hilary Coller, Ph.D. discussed molecular mechanisms that contribute to the hallmarks of quiescence and a pathway involving chromatin remodeling that contributes to gene expression changes with quiescence. Scholar Paulina Podszywalow-Bartnicka discussed the role of leukemia stem cells in leukemia relapse after treatment of Bcr-Abl activity by Imatinib. She presented her newest data showing that Imatinib causes increased transcriptional readthrough leading to the generation of transcripts containing sequences transcribed from downstream of the gene, a process that can impact the decision to quiesce or differentiate. Simon Buczacki, Ph.D., FRCS, presented his lab’s research using gene-edited colon organoids that shows that a cell’s phenotype can be determined by the order in which somatic mutations are introduced. Epigenetic alterations in chromatin structure were found to restrict cellular plasticity following acquisition of additional driver mutations.
In Section 4, Jose Javier Bravo-Cordero reported on his group’s investigation of the biology of dormant cancer cells and their influence on the tissue microenvironment. He discussed his group’s application of high-resolution imaging technologies to unravel the important role of the extracellular matrix in regulating the dynamics of dormant tumor cells and their niches. James Alvarez, Ph.D., discussed his laboratory’s research on metabolic reprogramming that occurs as cancer cells become dormant and strategies to target metabolic pathways to enforce quiescence or kill the dormant cells. Scholar Lucia Borriello, Ph.D. discussed her research investigating whether therapies such as paclitaxel that target primary tumors in alter the composition of the tumor microenvironment to trigger the awakening of dormant disseminated tumor cells directly and via recruited neutrophils. Cyrus Ghajar, Ph.D. discussed his laboratory’s research establishing in vivo models for tumor dormancy. Finally, Lewis Chodosh, M.D., Ph.D. reported on his laboratory’s mouse model for human breast cancer that recapitulates key features of human cancer progression including metastasis, residual disease, dormancy, and recurrence. He also presented on the tools that his laboratory is developing to enable the detection and characterization of disseminated tumor cells in patients as a biomarker for recurrence risk and as a pharmacodynamic marker to monitor the effect of therapies against this population.
The forum provided an opportunity for extensive and engaged discussion. The participants learned about emerging models, resources and novel concepts in the field of cellular quiescence, senescence and tumor dormancy.
Venue & Travel Information
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Travel Forms
Please familiarize yourself with our travel policy below before booking your travel. If you have any questions about our policy, please do not hesitate to contact us for clarification.
Travel forms are due 30 days prior to the start of the forum to allow enough time to plan transportation.
Denver International Airport (DIA) is approximately 30 minutes from the venue.
- Arrival day of the forum at approximately 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM
- Departures from the venue at approximately 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT GROUND TRANSPORTATION
To maximize funding for our Forums, the Foundation does not reimburse ground transportation costs outside the designated shuttle pick-up times. If you arrive after the final shuttle, or do not wish to wait for or take a scheduled shuttle, you will be responsible for arranging and covering your own transportation to the Forum venue.
Travel Policy & General Information
Travel Policy
Please familiarize yourself with our policies and procedures for travel. We truly appreciate you taking the time to participate in this meeting. As you make your plans please remember that we are a nonprofit organization dependent on donations and volunteers. So please note what we do and do not cover.
What the Foundation Pays For
- ACCOMMODATIONS for the nights of the Forum only. People traveling from oversees or far away may arrive 1 night early to adjust for jet lag or to navigate longer travel times.
- MEALS are provided by the foundation during the forum.
- A TRAVEL ALLOWANCE FOR AIRFARE will be set based on an economy ticket from your home airport. If you have travel before or after that is fine. We do not increase the allowance for other travel plans.
- The Foundation provides SHUTTLES TO/FROM THE AIRPORT to the meeting venue at designated shuttle times.
- You can select not to utilize Foundation arranged transportation at your own expense when completing the travel form.
What the Foundation does not cover
- We do not cover upgrades of any kind.
- Travel Allowance will not be increased due to late booking or changes.
- We do not cover incidental costs during your travel. So please do not send your food receipts.
- We do not cover additional nights at the venue outside of the meeting dates.
- We do not cover transportation outside of the designated shuttle times.
- We do not reimburse for home side airport transfer (to/from your home/office to your airport).
Important Things to Note
- Everyone must fill out the travel form!
- We must have your itinerary and travel receipt to receive reimbursement.
- Flights must be booked at least 30 days prior to the meeting or you may not have accommodations and airport transfer.
- We often use volunteers for airport transfers.
- The travel confirmation will be sent out the WEEK before your Forum.
- The speaking agenda will be spent out the NIGHT before your Forum.
- We expect participants to attend ALL sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Travel Confirmation will be sent out with in 1 week of the meeting. This will include a hotel confirmation number, if there is one, airport transfer details. We have to wait until we receive almost everyone’s travel to book airport transfer. Also due to frequent airline changes we wait until the week of the meeting to send this out.
- Speaker agenda is not sent out prior to the meeting. It will be provided upon arrival in the meeting packet. We do not tell people when they are speaking because we expect everyone to attend all sessions. Sessions are all day Friday and Saturday.
- Frequently airport transfer is provided by volunteers. Please be patient on receiving this information. Airport transfer will be sent out prior to arrival.
Abstracts
Abstracts are due 30 days prior to the start of the meeting to allow enough time to prepare the meeting book.
The abstracts should be only one or two paragraphs outlining the theme of your presentation and should reflect the objective and spirit of the meeting (see above). Abstracts will be circulated about one week before the meeting. The meeting organizer will start requesting them a month before the meeting.
Forum Structure
The structure of the forum has been developed over years of experience.
- Participants have approximately 45 minutes, depending on the number of participants, for their presentation and discussion. The presentation is meant as a conversation start and should last about twenty minutes briefly covering background information and areas that are new or need further input. This should be structured in such a way as to lead to a lively discussion. Participants are encouraged to interrupt to ask questions or start discussions.
- Each presentation is limited to 2 slide equivalents. Slides should include no more than one graph or gel per slide and a maximum of 5 bullet points. Avoid animations or motion effects. Slides should support discussion, not serve as a script. Thank you for adhering to the spirit of this format.
- A Whiteboard and markers will be available to supplement your digital slides.
- Everyone is expected to actively participate in every session and discussions.
- The time spent at the forum is relatively short, so please be familiar with papers received prior to arrival.
- It is very important that you commit to all sessions of the 2 days of the forum.
Forbeck Scholars Participation
Scholars are selected for each Forbeck Forum. These are outstanding junior clinical or post-doctoral fellows selected based on the quality and relevance of science.
- Scholars present for 30-45 minutes, depending on the number of participants
- The same presentation rules apply for scholars
- After the Forum you are selected to attend, you will attend three years of Scholar Retreats held in Lake Geneva, WI. If you attend a Fall Forum, you will attend the Spring Retreat. If you attend a Spring Forum you will attend a Fall Retreat.
- Scholars are selected by the Foundation Scientific Advisory Board and peer reviewers selected from past Forbeck Scholars.
General Program
The outline below illustrates a typical program schedule. You will receive a complete schedule, including speaking times, the Thursday the forum starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some of our most Frequently Asked Questions. If you have something new to ask, please feel free to contact us.
- Travel Confirmation will be sent out within 1 week of the forum. This will include a hotel confirmation number, if there is one, and airport transfer details. We have to wait until we receive almost everyone’s travel to book airport transfer. Due to frequent airline changes, we wait until the week of the meeting to send this out.
- Airport transfer is provided by Foundation staff, volunteers or arranged shuttle at specific times. If you opt to utilize Foundation airport transportation on your travel form, please be patient in receiving this information. We will send it to the week of the forum.
- Speaker agenda is not sent out prior to the meeting. It will be provided upon arrival in the meeting packet. We do not tell people when they are speaking because we expect everyone to attend all sessions. Sessions are all day.
- Frequently airport transfer is provided by volunteers. Please be patient on receiving this information. Airport transfer will be sent out prior to arrival.
- REMINDER: We do not reimburse for home side airport transfer or incidentals while traveling. We will not honor miscellaneous receipts sent for these expenses.