Luncheon – The DNA Damage Response – an emerging target for groundbreaking cancer therapies
Luncheon – The DNA Damage Response – an emerging target for groundbreaking cancer therapies
A sponsored luncheon program offered by AstraZeneca
Advanced registration required.
Every day, the DNA in our cells is damaged tens of thousands of times by natural and external factors.(1) Fortunately, DNA Damage Response (DDR) mechanisms monitor damage, initiate repair, pause cell growth or—if damage is too severe—instigate cell death.(2)
If one or more DDR mechanisms become defective, DNA damage can build up—something which happens in cancer.(1) Faulty systems allow DNA mutations that promote uncontrolled cancer cell growth or enable cells to evade death.(2)
Although cancer cells may benefit from DDR defects, they still need some “back-up” repair systems to survive.(2)
New DDR-targeting drugs may offer a radically different way of treating cancer. They kill cancer cells by inhibiting the “back-up” DDR mechanisms that keep them alive. Normal healthy cells are spared, as their DDR systems are intact and they do not rely on the “back-up” systems targeted by DDR inhibitors.(2)
With at least 450 proteins involved in the DDR response, there are many exciting opportunities for preferentially killing cancer cells.(2) Join our luncheon to hear about the cutting-edge science behind the latest advances in DDR research, and find out about AstraZeneca’s progress on discovering the potential of a broad range of DDR pathways. It’s a fascinating story, and it’s only just beginning!
| AGENDA | |
|---|---|
| 11:50 – 11:55 | Sean Bohen, MD, PhD Executive Vice President Global Medicines Development & Chief Medical Officer AstraZeneca Welcome and introduction |
| 11:55 – 12:20 | Mark O’Connor, PhD Chief Scientist, Oncology Head of DNA Damage Response Biology AstraZeneca Targeting DNA Damage Response (DDR) in cancer: past, present and future |
| 12:20 – 12:35 | Meredith Morgan, PhD Assistant Professor University of Michigan The potential of DDR inhibitors in combination with radiation treatment |
| 12:35 – 12:45 | Sean Bohen
DDR research: what’s next? |
| 12:45 –13:15 | Audience Q&A and discussion (All, facilitated by Sean Bohen) |
Download the e-press pack (available just before the event).
For more information on DDR, visit this page.
References
- Jackson SP, Bartek J. The DNA-damage response in human biology and disease. Nature 2009; 461:1071-1078
- O’Connor MJ. Targeting the DNA damage response in cancer. Molecular Cell 2015; 60:547-56