Molecular Mechanisms Controlling Normal and Cancer Stem Cells

The 2009 second Gordon Conference on Stem cells and Cancer will present cutting-edge research on the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling self-renewal and differentiation of both normal and cancerous stem cells. Emerging data indicates that cancer stem cells are responsible for the growth and spread of tumors. Expansion of normal stem cells is under tight genetic and epigenetic constraints. Cancer stem cells have escaped these limitations on expansion resulting in expansion of the self-renewing cell populations. The goals of this meeting are to present the most current research into the cellular and molecular biology of normal- and cancer stem cells. Topics that will be explored in this meeting are cancer stem cell niche signaling, the regulation of stem cell self-renewal in normal stem cells and cancer the cell of origin of cancer, Cellular reprogramming mechanisms, new markers for stem cells and cancer stem cells and cancer stem cells as therapeutic targets. The conference will bring together key investigators at the forefront of stem cell research and will provide opportunities for postdocs and graduate students to present their work in poster sessions and in a selected set of short talks. There will be ample opportunity for discussions and informal interactions to help promote cross-disciplinary interactions and foster collaborations between stem cell researchers world-wide.