Posts Tagged ‘melanoma’

Melanocyte Course and Melanoma Meeting Reports: Reykjavik (Iceland) 21-26 June 2015

Thursday, August 27th, 2015
Students and teachers at the university

Students and teachers at the university

Final Report of the International Course

The international course From Melanocyte Development to Melanoma Therapies – Basic Science and Clinical Applications, occurred at the University of Iceland, in Reykjavik June 21-24, 2015. Major advances in basic research of melanoma have lead to novel treatment options that are making a difference for melanoma patients. However, multiple challenges lie ahead and further progress is necessary, particularly with respect to resistance to the novel therapies. Our course http://www.iveamobility.com/diazepam10mg/ taught the basic biology and development of the melanocyte how these cells are transformed into melanoma, and how the disease is diagnosed and treated. A particular emphasis was on novel therapeutic options and the resistance that arises against the new drugs. Another main issue was to bring together the future leaders in the field with an MD and/or a PhD background.
The course had seven main themes: (i) Introduction to melanocytes and melanoma. (ii) Clinical diagnosis and prognosis, (iii) Histology and histopathology, (iv) Molecular and (epi)genetic techniques, (v) Experimental animals, (vi) High throughput data analysis, and (vii) Therapy, current clinical practice and preclinical advances.
The objective of this course was clearly defined. In recent years, research into melanocytes and melanoma has lead to giant steps in treatment of melanoma patients. The goal of this course was to teach students about the basic biology of melanoma with a particular emphasis on therapeutic options. The students learnt about this rapidly advancing field, and since the students came from both basic and clinical sciences, they learnt from each other in order to advance melanoma diagnosis and therapy in the future.
Hosting the course in Iceland allowed us to bring together European and American students and taught them about the latest advances in the field. This three day course was followed by a three day meeting “Melanoma: from basic science to clinical applications“ (http://www.melanoma2015.is) where leaders in the field will talk about their latest results. This allowed us to include some of the most important players in the field as teachers in the course. This meeting was highly appreciated by the 120 participants.
The success of the course relied on the active contribution of participants who were proactive and participated in all of the events organized including: (i) presentation of their own scientific project with a 8 minutes oral presentation, and (ii) participation in the “career development” workshop during the last day of the course.
The course will have a broad view of the melanocyte lineage, including the establishment of the lineage during embryonic development and the renewal of melanocytes from normal melanocyte stem cells. The similarities between the cellular and molecular mechanisms that occur during development, renewal and melanomagenesis will be explored for further clinical advancement. Lectures on epigenetics, genomics and clinical aspects of melanoma will bring a broader view of the field for the PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and junior scientists attending the course.
Lunches and Dinners were attended by both teachers and students giving opportunities for further discussions and this time was used as round tables.
In figures, 28 students (3 Master students, 17 PhD/MD-PhD students, 4 Post-docs, and 4 MD) with 17 females and 11 males participated to this course. We got a feed-back from the survey of the course from 23 students. These students came from Iceland (8), France (7), North America (4), Sweden (2) and also from UK, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Holland and Hungary. Overall, they were either satisfied or highly satisfied by this course.
In conclusion, it was a real pleasure for the organizers, the teachers and the students to participate to this course. We are ready to organize a similar course in 2017. The location is still unclear, but an option is taken in Israel.
The organizers : Lionel LARUE, Eirikur STEINGRIMSSON, Thorunn RAFNAR and Colin GODING
Students and teachers at the blue Lagoon

Students and teachers at the blue Lagoon

Final Report of the Melanoma Meeting

The international meeting Melanoma: From Basic Science to Clinical Applications, was held in the Harpa Conference Center and Concert Hall, Reykjavik, Iceland, June 24-26, 2015. Major advances in basic research of melanoma have lead to novel treatment options that are making a difference for melanoma patients. However, multiple challenges lie ahead and further progress is necessary, particularly with respect to resistance to the novel therapies. The meeting covered topics ranging from the basic biology and development of the melanocyte to how these cells are transformed into melanoma, and how the disease is diagnosed and treated. A particular emphasis was to bridge the basic and clinical sciences of melanoma and to span the Atlantic divide by bringing American and European melanoma scientists together. Another main issue was to bring together the future leaders in the field.
The meeting was divided into five sessions: (i-ii) Melanocyte and melanoma development 1a and 1b. (ii) Gene regulation in melanocytes and melanoma, (iii) Cell biology to Pathology, (iv) Pathology to Genomics, (v) Clinical advances. One of the lunch breaks was conducted as a separate session termed Luncheon clinical Update and Current Needs.
The meeting was very successful. First, the speakers gave outstanding talks and ample time was allowed for questions and discussions. Second, the frequent coffee breaks and social events allowed further discussions and interactions. And third, the social events, including the Welcome reception, Conference dinner and the trip to the Blue Lagoon further enhanced interactions and discussions. We have received nothing but praise and adulation for the organization of the meeting, its scientific content, the location in Iceland and the friendly and interactive atmosphere we succeeded in creating.
The meeting was attended by a total of 120 people from 17 different countries. The speakers were from both Europe and the US, 14 females and 22 males. They were both established leading investigators and younger speakers selected from abstracts.
Support for the meeting was obtained from various institutions and companies, including Institut Curie, University of Iceland, ESPCR, PASPCR, The French Embassy in Iceland, the Icelandic Cancer Society, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Provectus, Incyte, Amgen, Metabolon, Lytix biopharma, Viralytics and Bristol Myers Squibb. We thank all these organizations for their generous contributions.
The organizers: Lionel LARUE, Eirikur STEINGRIMSSON, Thorunn RAFNAR, Robert ANDTBACKA, Rene GONZALEZ, Karl LEWIS, Caroline ROBERT and Ze’ev RONAI

Meeting and Course: From Melanocyte Development to Melanoma Therapies, Reykjavik, Iceland, June 21-26, 2015

Thursday, February 5th, 2015
Meeting and Course "From Melanocyte Development to Melanoma Therapies", Reykjavik - Iceland, June 21-26, 2015

Meeting and Course "From Melanocyte Development to Melanoma Therapies", Reykjavik - Iceland, June 21-26, 2015

The European Society for Pigment Cell Research (ESPCR) is pleased to co-sponsor the following two consecutive events on melanocyte and melanoma research that will take place in Iceland next June.

At first, the course From Melanocyte Development to Melanoma Therapies – Basic Science and Clinical Applications, which will be held at the University of Iceland, in Reykjavik, Iceland, June 21-24, 2015. Major advances in basic research of melanoma have lead to novel treatment options that are making a difference for melanoma patients. However, multiple challenges lie ahead and further progress is necessary, particularly with respect to resistance to the novel therapies. This course will teach the basic biology and development of http://dhuhealthcare.com/tadalafil-cialis-ed/ the melanocyte how these cells are transformed into melanoma, and how the disease is diagnosed and treated. A particular emphasis will be on novel therapeutic options and the resistance that arises against the new drugs. This course is organized by: Lionel LARUE – Institut Curie, FR; Eirikur STEINGRIMSSON – University of Iceland, IC; Thorunn RAFNAR – deCODE Genetics, IC; and, Colin GODING – Ludwig Institute, UK

Next, the Conference Melanoma: from basic science to clinical applications, will be held in Harpa, the Concert Hall and Conference Center in Reykjavik, Iceland, June 24-26, 2015. The conference will involve lectures from leaders in melanoma and melanocyte research. Speakers and poster presentations will be selected from abstracts. The conference is designed to stimulate discussions between basic scientists and clinicians and has the ultimate aim of improving therapeutic options in this disease. This meeting is organize by Eirikur Steingrimsson, Lionel Larue, Ze’ev Ronai, Thorunn Rafnar, Caroline Robert, Karl Lewis and René Gonzalez.

COURSE APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 23, 2015
Course WEB site: training.curie.fr/course/iceland2015
Meeting WEB site: melanoma2015.is
CONTACT: c.iceland2015@curie.fr

7th melanoma meeting, Nice, France, June 16-18, 2010

Sunday, March 28th, 2010
7th Melanoma Meeting, Nice, France, June 16-18, 2010

7th Melanoma Meeting, Nice, France, June 16-18, 2010

The 7th Melanoma Meeting, entitled “Emerging Concepts in Melanoma Biology. Pave the Road to New Therapies” will be held in Nice, France, on June 16-18, 2010.

This meeting is organized by https://www.adamlgnevill.com/buy-valium-diazepam/ Corine BERTOLOTTO, INSERM U895, Nice; Véronique DELMAS, Institut Curie, Orsay; Robert BALLOTTI, INSERM U895, Nice; Lionel LARUE, Institut Curie, Orsay; Jean-Paul ORTONNE, CHU, Nice; Alain SARASIN, IGR, Villejuif and the meeting pre-program includes, in addition, as invited speakers: Colin GODING, Friedrich BEERMANN, Alain MUAVIEL, Dot BENNETT, Marisol SOENGAS, Daniel PEEPER, Bernard WEHRLE-HALLER, Nathalie LABARRIERE, Richard MARAIS, Caroline ROBERT, Owen SANSOM, Luisa LANFRANCONE, Irwin DAVIDSON, Eirikur STEIMGRIMSSON, Eric GILSON, Marie-Dominique GALIBERT and Keith HOEK.

Registration fee is 70 Euros. Interested participants should contact Robert Ballotti.

TANNING AND MELANOMA – NOT HYPE

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008

No such thing as a safe tan – PCMR replies to sunbed manufacturers. The current issue of Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research (PCMR) features 3 perspectives papers writen by David E. Fisher and collaborators, Marianne Berwick and Dorothy C. Bennett on the dangers of sunbed tanning.

The PCMR WEB site includes an iPod cast interview with Dr David E Fisher on “the dangers of sunbed tanning”.

The three perspective articles are freely accessible from the PCMR website.

UV and pigmentation: molecular mechanisms and social controversies
Thanh-Nga T. Tran, Joshua Schulman, David E. Fisher

Are tanning beds “safe”? Human studies of melanoma
Marianne Berwick

Ultraviolet wavebands and melanoma initiation
Dorothy C. Bennett

PCMR PRESS RELEASE: Thursday September 18, 2008

More than skin deep: There’s no such thing as a ‘safe’ suntan, researchers warn

There may be no such thing as a ‘safe’ tan based on ultraviolet (UV) radiation, according to a series of papers published in the October issue of Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research, the official journal of The International Federation of Pigment Cell Societies (IFPCS) and the Society for Melanoma Research.

The authors of the three review papers – leading researchers in the fields of cell biology, dermatology and epidemiology – have examined the effects on skin of UV radiation, including that from indoor tanning beds. As well as highlighting the need for greater research into this area, they have called for the use of such beds by under-18s to be banned, along with any publicity that claims that tanning beds are safe.

Exposure to UV radiation, for example, from sunbathing or using an indoor tanning bed, affects the skin in a number of ways, including causing DNA damage, photoaging (damage to the skin from chronic exposure to sunlight) and skin cancer. UV radiation is the most ubiquitous carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) for humans, in whom skin is the organ most commonly affected by cancer.

Although more research is required, published data suggest that indoor tanning beds, which are used most by young women, are linked to an increased risk of melanoma (the most dangerous form of skin cancer), and do not support the idea that tanning beds are safe.

In one of three papers in the series published today, Dr David E Fisher, dermatologist and president of the Society of Melanoma Research, and colleagues from the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston have explored the social issues and molecular mechanisms related to tanning caused by UV exposure. Reviewing published data in the field, the authors report that both tanning and skin cancer seem to begin with the same event – DNA damage caused by UV exposure. This leads them to suggest that a ‘safe’ tan with UV may be a physical impossibility.

The authors conclude: “UVR [ultraviolet radiation] exposure represents one of the most avoidable causes of cancer risk and mortality in man. Whereas genetic and other factors undoubtedly contribute importantly to skin cancer risk, the role of UV is incontrovertible, and efforts to confuse the public, particularly for purposes of economic gain by the indoor tanning industry, should be vigorously combated for the public health.”

The other two papers in the series have been written by Dr Marianne Berwick, an epidemiologist at the University of New Mexico Cancer Research and Treatment Centre, and Dr Dorothy C Bennett, a dermatologist at the Division of Basic Medical Sciences, St George’s, University of London, London, UK. The three papers and a related podcast with Dr Fisher can be accessed for free online at http://www.pigment.org/.

Skin cancer is the most common malignancy in the US; the American Academy of Dermatology reports than one American dies every 62 minutes from melanoma. The WHO estimated that, in the year 2000, up to 71 000 deaths worldwide were attributed to excessive UV exposure.