This proposal requests support for a Keystone Symposia meeting entitled Cancer and Metabolism, organized by Reuben J. Shaw and David M. Sabatini, which will be held in Banff, Alberta, Canada from February 12 - 17, 2012. Although altered glucose metabolism was first noted as a characteristic of tumor cells by Otto Warburg in the 1920s, the molecular underpinning for this observation did not begin to be appreciated fully until the past decade. And this area has exploded over the last five years with the identification of extensive interactions of genuine tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes with metabolic control. The increased biosynthetic needs of tumor cells demands a reprogramming of cellular metabolism, which also creates increased energy demands and makes tumor cells more vulnerable to interventions targeting their metabolism. The goal of the Keystone Symposia meeting on Cancer and Metabolism is to bring together leaders in the fields of cancer and metabolic control with those studying the signaling pathways linking and governing each. The latest discoveries will be discussed as well as how this knowledge can be exploited to design future cancer therapeutics. Opportunities for interdisciplinary interactions will be significantly enhanced by the concurrent meeting on Advances in Hypoxic Signaling: From Bench to Bedside, which will share a keynote address and a plenary session with this meeting.
Most tumors undergo altered metabolism - a feature that can be used to non-invasively monitor tumor growth, progression, and therapeutic response. As tumor cells experience increased energy demands they become more vulnerable to interventions targeting their metabolism;major efforts are underway to develop therapeutics to target this cancer cell-specific sensitivity. The Keystone Symposia meeting on Cancer and Metabolism will bring together leaders in the fields of cancer and metabolic control with those studying the signaling pathways linking and governing each. The latest discoveries will be discussed as well as how this knowledge can be exploited to design future cancer therapeutics.
