Support is requested for a scientific meeting organized by the American Association for Cancer Research, Inc. (AACR). The conference, entitled """"""""Normal and Neoplastic Growth and Development,"""""""" will be held at the Chatham Bars Inn in Chatham, Massachusetts, on October 18-22, 1992. The Program Committee for this conference consists of Drs. Arnold J. Levine, Chairperson and Principal Investigator; Edward E. Harlow, Peter M. Howley, and David M. Livingston. 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. The major goals of the conference are the presentation of the latest discoveries in the areas of the molecular origins of cancer, hematopoiesis, DNA tumor viruses, colon cancer, myogenesis, and tumor suppressor genes. A number of new concepts have emerged from the tumor suppressor gene field over the past few years. What has become clear is that mutations in tumor suppressor genes result in a tissue specificity or tissue preference in the pattern of tumor formation, and the absence of tumor suppressor genes in cells has quite different consequences depending on the stage of development. Past meetings on tumor suppressor genes have largely missed the significance of tissue or cell type upon the functions of these gene products. It could well be the case that the same tumor suppressor gene product interacts with different proteins in different tissue types. This meeting will focus upon these issues and could add unique concepts to the next generation of experiments in this field. Participants will be drawn from a variety of scientific areas and all levels of training, from graduate students to senior basic scientists or clinical investigators. The conference will provide substantial opportunities for both formal and informal scientific exchange among all participants and speakers. It is anticipated that this exchange will enrich current research and suggest new conceptual insights into the rapidly developing field of tumor suppressor genes.
