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Thursday, October 28, 2010
 
Session I:  9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

New Approaches for Cancer Treatment: Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment

For the last 30 years, scientists have worked to characterize the basic biology and molecular machinery of tumors. The creation of targeted therapies and molecular profiles is the most dramatic consequence of the human genome project and systems biology, but there is a large gap in our understanding of the systemic and local factors that lead to tumor progression and spread.
 
The microenvironment is a major new research focus and, among others, the questions this panel will address include:
  • Do cells undergo some primary transformation that permits mutations to occur before it becomes malignant?
  • Does the early transformed cell require supporting changes in the microenvironment to progress?
  • Could inflammation or changes in the bone marrow or immune system have a distant effect on the tumor microenvironment?
  • Do cancers arrive from stem cells or do transformed cells take on stem cell characteristics?

Moderator:

Elizabeth Woo
Vice President, Global Accounts
Thermo Fisher Scientific

Panelists:

Debarata Banerjee, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Medicine
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

Meenhard Herlyn, D.V.M., D.Sc.
Professor and Chair, The Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program
The Wistar Institute

Mark McKinlay, Ph.D. (Presentation)
CSO & Senior Vice President Research & Development
TetraLogic Pharmaceuticals
 
Session II:  10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Synthetic Life – How Far Are We From Playing God?

On May 20, 2010, Dr. J. Craig Venter reported the design, synthesis, and assembly of the first bacterial cell controlled by a chemically-synthesized genome and a stormy discussion about the ethics has followed. While this breakthrough will affect numerous aspects of our lives, the discussion will focus on the positive and negative implications for medicine, including: 
 
Just what are the risk/benefits of such an advance?
  • How might this help better mankind with future health endeavors, and the element of control, not just of the scientists, but of new microorganisms that may be produced and break through barriers?
  • How will the advance differ in small companies versus academic institutions?
  • Should the potential for terrorism be a main concern or should we have equally grave concerns about those with no ill intent?
  • Will the synthetic cell mean we can grow new organs and body parts?
  • What will be the impact on other scientific advances that are currently being developed?

Moderator:

Kerry Grens
Senior Health and Science Reporter
WHYY

Panelists:

Arthur Caplan, Ph.D.
Emanuel and Robert Hart Professor and Chairman, Department of Medical Ethics
University of Pennsylvania

James Greenwood
President & CEO
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)

T. Patrick Hill, Ph.D.
Senior Policy Fellow
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

 
Session III:  1:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Mimicking Nature: Who Will Win the Race – Tissue Regeneration or Artificial Organs?

The last decade has witnessed extraordinary research efforts in tissue engineering, stem cells and other disciplines of regenerative medicine. In parallel, scientists have also made significant strides toward the creation of functional artificial organs. Researchers involved in making these advances come from diverse settings – academicians from universities, researchers from not-for-profits, and VC-backed startups, as well as programs from established companies. No single approach has emerged as a clear winner, and an evaluation of their progress is still ongoing.
 
This session will discuss innovations for both tissue regeneration and artificial organs, and focus on two model organ systems including beta cell regeneration versus the artificial pancreas and retina stem cells versus the artificial retina.
 
Moderator:

Samir Tari, M.D.
President & CEO
PCAsso Diagnostics, LLC

Panelists:
 
Sanjoy Dutta, Ph.D.
Director, Insulin Initiative
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
 
Mark Stejbach
Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer
Tengion, Inc.

 

 
 
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