Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene function that occur without a change in DNA sequence. The term can also be used more broadly to describe mechanisms involved in the unfolding development of an organism, such as imprinting and gene silencing. Epigenetic processes are often marked by cytosine methylation of genomic DNA and by covalent modification of histones. These alterations participate in establishing specific chromatin states and thereby dictate heritable patterns of gene expression. For these reasons, epigenetics has become closely linked to the study of chromatin in its many different aspects.

The aim of this conference, which is now in its fifth cycle, is to integrate advances in cancer biology with those in the field of epigenetics. A tradition of the conference has been to focus not only on epigenetic phenomena in cancer cells, but to allow for an exploration of the basic mechanisms underlying these defects. The relationship between chromatin structure, genomic instability and cancer has been a consistent theme since the conference was first held in 1996. This complements other parts of the program that address more directly the functions of DNA methylation, histone modification and the protein complexes that interpret these changes in chromatin. There has been dramatic progress in each of these areas recently and the 2005 conference will reflect this.

We have included two new sections in the 2005 conference. The first will focus on novel epigenetic mechanisms in mammalian cells - including emerging roles for small double stranded RNA and for protein conformation as means of conveying epigenetic information. The second will address efforts to target epigenetic processes for cancer therapy.