Introduction

The European Association for Cancer Research (EACR), American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and Società Italiana di Cancerologia (SIC) are proud to announce this new joint Basic and Translational Research Conference that gathers top experts in the fields of Immunology and DNA Damage in Florence, Italy to discuss the molecular mechanisms laying at the convergence of these two research fields and how they can be exploited to treat cancer.

Background

The integrity of DNA molecules is vital for proper cellular function, yet it is under constant assault from environmental and metabolic DNA damaging agents. Failure to maintain faithful DNA replication and as such genome stability and integrity leads to DNA lesions and mutations that are a driving factor in tumour initiation and progression. Cancer development is further modulated by the immune response.

More recent research has uncovered a role for DNA repair mechanisms beyond tumorigenesis. It is now known that DNA repair is at the core of regulating the balance between tumour progression and immune response, and as such can predict the efficacy of immunotherapy.

Target Audience

The target audience for this conference is basic and translational scientists, both senior and young investigators with an interest in DNA damage and repair mechanisms and/ or Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy, as well as clinicians with an interest in cancer immunotherapy including those involved in the development of novel therapeutic approaches to treatment.

Topics to be covered:

The role of DNA Repair Mechanisms and Immune Response and Evasion in cancer

Alterations in DNA Repair and Neoantigens

Immunotherapy and Genomic Alterations

The use of Artificial Intelligence in Diagnostic and Therapeutics

How the DNA Damage Response could be exploited to Identify New Therapeutic Vulnerabilities in Cancer

Combining Targeting DNA Repair Pathways and Immune Modulation

Synthetic Lethality from Discovery to Clinical Implementation