Unraveling oncogenesis: What makes cancer tick?

Recent discoveries in cancer biology may bring forward an additional collection of tools in physicians’ arsenal of cancer therapeutics. Scientists now know that many cancer-associated mutations affect chromatin regulation and the function of multiprotein transcriptional complexes, which can ultimately lead to cancer development and growth. This knowledge may be used to develop future clinical approaches.

Cigall Kadoch and Greg Wang

The ASBMB annual meeting is around the corner, and attendees can expect a wide variety of symposia offerings throughout the event. One of the symposia, oncogenic hubs: chromatin regulatory and transcriptional complexes in cancer, will focus on the role of transcriptional dysregulation, histone modification and chromatin regulatory complexes in cancer formation.  Cigall Kadoch of Harvard Medical School and Greg Wang of Duke University School of Medicine organized and will lead the session.

Wang, a current Journal of Biological Chemistry editorial board member and 2022 ASBMB Young Investigator Award recipient, said the symposium will focus on cancer but encouraged attendees from all fields to participate in the session.

“These topics can be applied to many other diseases as well,” Wang said.

According to Kadoch, the topics covered at the symposium directly relate to patient care and developing novel therapeutic approaches.

“We’re at a unique moment in time in which the learnings from first-in-class approaches in the clinic are coming back to the bench to inform new questions and propel next-step advances,” Kadoch said. “(We) hope this section of the ASBMB meeting does a good job of covering that.”

Wang added: “(This field) elevates basic science to the translational level to ultimately benefit patients.”

Kadoch and Wang selected a diverse array of speakers who study the role of molecular condensates, extrachromosomal DNA, chromatin regulatory machinery, epigenetics and more in cancer.

“I am particularly excited about the interplay of the speakers within the section and the opportunity for our audiences to take away numerous new approaches to exploring some of the most pressing biological questions relating to oncogenic hubs,” Kadoch said. 

Check out the full program schedule to get the most out of #ASBMB25.