EVENT SPOTLIGHT

Walk the Lake for Kira Faith

Transposable elements (TEs) make up 50% of the human genome but are referred to as "genomic dark matter" or "junk DNA" and often ignored in genomic medicine - both because they have been presumed to be unimportant and because their high copy number and variability pose unique technical challenges. Neither impediment now seems steadfast. Interest in the human transposable elements and their role in cancer has never been greater, and methods enabling its study are maturing at a fast pace.

Transposable elements directly contribute to cancer through both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. De novo transposon insertions are known to disrupt important genes and gene regulatory elements and result in tumorigenesis. Epigenetically reactivated transposable elements can become cryptic promoters and enhancers and lead to abnormal gene activities including up-regulating oncogenes. These recent mounting evidences request a full understanding of the contribution of transposable elements to cancer.

On the other hand, transposable elements are a double-edged sword. Recent discoveries reveal that epigenetically reactivated transposable elements can produce cancer specific products including immunogenic antigens and double stranded RNAs, which result in an innate immune response. These findings together with rapid development of immunotherapies open new avenues for cancer treatment.

This meeting will be chaired by Kathleen H. Burns, MD, PhD of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Ting Wang, PhD of Washington University

learn more & register

Foundation News

Stay in the know with our news and events.

Yoga at the Park

In honor of International Yoga Day, the Forbeck Foundation invites you to join us on Saturday, June 24, 2023, from 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM for a morning of yoga and family fun at Edgewater Park in Williams Bay, Wisconsin.

read more
National Repeat Day

June has many great holidays and recognition days worthy of kickstarting your summer with a splash. Read on for a few examples.

read more
Third Forum of 2023

Our third forum of the year, Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy Combination, kicked off today in Castello, Italy!

read more

Upcoming Forums

The Forbeck Foundation created a breakthrough meeting: "The Forbeck Forum" that inspires the greatest minds in medical research to find a cure for cancer. Explore our upcoming meetings to learn what makes the Forbeck Forums different than other cancer research meetings and conferences.

Visit our scientific companion site, forbeckforums.org, to learn more about all of our upcoming meetings along with 35+ years of meeting history and reports.

forbeckforums.org
thank you sponsors

The Forums fill a critical gap in the fight against cancer by providing researchers with the unparalleled opportunity to share, interact, synergize and collaborate, and in turn, advance the next generation of breakthrough oncology research. By expanding our Forbeck Cancer Forums, we can accelerate progress toward a cure more quickly than ever.