Neuroblastoma UK’s 5th Neuroblastoma Research Symposium was held in Cambridge on 11-12th April at The Stephen Perse Foundation, Union Road, Cambridge, CB2 1HF, UK.
The Symposium was presented by Neuroblastoma UK and co-hosted by Prof. Anna Philpott (Dept. Oncology, University of Cambridge).
The Symposium is also supported by the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre programmes for Paediatrics and Neuro-Oncology.
We are also very grateful to EUSA Pharma and Ergomed for meeting sponsorship. Sponsors have had no involvement in the meeting content or selection of speakers.
Accommodation & Travel
The Stephen Perse Foundation, CB2 IHF, with entrance on Union Road, is in central Cambridge, about 10 minutes walk or a short taxi ride from the main Cambridge rail station. Here is a a map of the Symposium and dinner venues also marked with local transport/hotel.
For flights from Europe, London Stansted is by far the most convenient, with good train connections to Cambridge.
For overnight accommodation, in increasing price order, Travelodge Cambridge Central, Hotel Ibis Cambridge Central, University Arms Hotel and Hilton Cambridge City Centre are all well situated close to the train station and/or Symposium venue. Alternatively, University college rooms are let out in the University holidays, which might appeal for a college experience - options are quite varied.
PROGRAMME
THURSDAY 11TH APRIL
12:00 – 13:00 Registration, lunch & poster setup
13:00 – 13:10 Introduction - Neuroblastoma UK & CRUK Cambridge Centre
Session 1: Neuroblastoma biology & prognosis
Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre Neuro-oncology Programme Session
Chair: Kate Wheeler (Oxford Children’s Hospital)
13:10 – 13:40 Sandra Ackermann (Cologne): The genetic basis of favourable outcome and fatal tumour progression in neuroblastoma
13:40 – 14:10 Rogier Versteeg (Amsterdam): The dark side of neuroblastoma
14:10 – 14:40 Katleen de Preter (Ghent): Improved diagnosis and risk stratification of paediatric cancers using liquid biopsies
14:40 – 14:55 Sue Burchill (Leeds): Self-renewing neuroblastoma cells isolated from bone marrow aspirates of children with stage M disease share a mesenchymal expression signature: an NCRI CCL CSG Neuroblastoma Group Study
14:55 – 15:15 Combined discussion
15:15 – 15:45 Tea with Posters
Session 2: Targeted & combination therapy I
Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre Neuro-oncology Programme Session
Chair: Marie Arsenian Henriksson (Karolinska)
15:45 – 16:15 Frank Westermann (Heidelberg): Novel metabolic dependencies of MYCN-driven neuroblastoma
16:15 – 16:45 Gerard Evan (Cambridge): Is Myc really master of the universe?
16:45 – 17:00 Melinda Halasz (University College Dublin): Anti-Cancer Effects of Diphenyleneiodonium Chloride (DPI) In MYCN-Amplified Neuroblastoma
17:00 – 17:15 Evon Poon (ICR, Sutton): Pharmacological blockade of high-risk MYCN driven neuroblastoma using an orally-bioavailable CDK2/9 inhibitor
17:15 – 17:35 Combined discussion
17:35 – 19:15 Poster viewing & Drinks
19:30 Symposium Dinner at Downing College (map for dinner)
Friday 12th April
08:30 – 08:50 Coffee & pastries
Session 3: Neural crest & differentiation therapy I
Chair: Margareta Wilhelm (Karolinska)
08:50 – 09:20 Igor Adameyko (Karolinska): Normal development of sympathoadrenal system resolved with lineage tracing and single cell transcriptomics
09:20 – 09:50 Quenten Schwarz (Adelaide): Guiding sympathoadrenal neural crest cells to the adrenal primordia
09:50 – 10:05 Claudia Linker (King’s College London): Notch coordinates cell cycle progression and migratory behaviour leading to collective cell migration
10:05 – 10:20 Combined discussion
10:20 – 10:50 Coffee with Posters
Session 4: Neural crest & differentiation therapy II
Chair: Gareth Evans (York)
10:50 – 11:20 Karen Liu (King’s College London): ALK and GSK3 - shared features of neuroblastoma and neural crest
11:20 – 11:35 Anestis Tsakiridis (Sheffield): Efficient generation of trunk neural crest and sympathetic neurons from human pluripotent stem cells via a neuromesodermal progenitor intermediate
11:35 – 12:05 Anna Philpott (Cambridge): Using developmental mechanisms to drive differentiation of neuroblastoma
12:05 – 12:20 Combined discussion
12:20 – 13:20 Lunch with Posters
Session 5: Targeted & combination therapy II
Chair: Bengt Hallberg (Gothenburg)
Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre Paediatrics Programme Lecture:
13:20 – 13:50 Sharon Diskin (Philadelphia): A multi-omic surfaceome study identifies DLK1 as a candidate oncoprotein and immunotherapeutic target in neuroblastoma
13:50 – 14:05 Donne Nile (Glasgow): Manipulation of cancer cell metabolism for neuroblastoma combination therapy with targeted radiotherapy
14:05 – 14:35 Suzanne Turner (Cambridge): CRISPR-dCas9 screens to identify resistance mechanisms to ALK in neuroblastoma
14:35 – 14:50 Combined discussion
14:50 – 15:20 Tea with Posters
15:20 – 15:30 Poster prizes
Session 6: Targeted & combination therapy III
Chair: John Lunec (Newcastle)
15:30 – 16:00 Per Kogner (Karolinska): The PPM1D encoded WIP1 phosphatase is an oncogene significant for cancer development and tumour progression and a druggable therapy target in neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma. A hint as to how aggressive childhood cancer manages with wild-type p53
16:00 – 16:15 Deb Tweddle (Newcastle): Preclinical assessment of MDM2/p53, ALK and MEK inhibitor combinations in neuroblastoma
16:15 – 16:30 Sally George (ICR, Sutton): A CRISPR-Cas9 genomic editing and compound screening approach identifies therapeutic vulnerabilities in the DNA damage response for the treatment of ATRX mutant neuroblastoma
16:30 – 16:45 Miriam Rosenberg (Jerusalem): Expression- and immune-profiling of neuroblastoma-associated Opsoclonus Myoclonus Ataxia Syndrome (OMAS) to identify features of auto- and tumour-immunity
16:45 – 17:00 Combined discussion
17:00 Close
Abstracts
Abstracts are invited for 6 x 15 minute Submitted Talks, one per session, on any neuroblastoma-related topic. Deadline is now closed.
Poster abstracts are also invited on any neuroblastoma-related topic. Poster prizes, two each in basic, translational and clinical categories, will be awarded by a panel of experts at the end of the Symposium. Deadline is now closed. If you would still like to submit a poster abstract, please email symposium@neuroblastoma.org.uk directly.
Poster size: Portrait A0. Velcro tape & pins will be provided.
Please send abstracts of no more than 200 words in Word format to symposium@neuroblastoma.org.uk. Outside of the word limit, please include a title, names and affiliations of all authors, and a maximum of 2 paper citations.
Registration
A nominal registration fee of £100 will be charged, waived for Postgraduates. Attendance at the Symposium Dinner on the Thursday evening is included in Registration. Deadline for registration is now closed. However, we have reserved a handful of spare places, so if you would still like to attend, please email symposium@neuroblastoma.org.uk directly.