Metastasis workshop, Sète (France)

Argument:

Cancer is one of the main causes of death globally according to the World Health Organization. The biological complexity and heterogeneity of this disease (or group of diseases) make it very difficult to apprehend, control, and cure. We strongly believe that more theoretical and conceptual efforts can benefit cancer research. To this aim we have initiated a series of international workshops whose aim is to gather philosophers, scientists, and medical doctors to discuss theoretical and conceptual challenges that are central to cancer research. In the present workshop, the focus will be on metastasis. Metastasis is a major challenge for cancer treatment and a leading cause of cancer death. Innovative conceptual and theoretical frameworks are highly needed in the domain of metastasis. One of the priorities of this workshop will be to determine the extent to which features generally associated with metastasis are in fact present in normal, physiological processes – such as cell migration in development, repair, and immunity, for instance.

Inaugural talk in Montpellier:

Andy Ewald (Johns Hopkins University)

Speakers:

• Andy Ewald (Johns Hopkins University, USA)
• Peter Friedl (Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherland)
• Christophe Ginestier (INSERM, CRCM, Marseille, France)
• Julie Guillermet (INSERM, CRCT, Toulouse, France)
• Lucie Laplane (CNRS, University Pantheon-Sorbonne & Gustave Roussy, France)
• Carlo Maley (Arizona State University, USA)
• Julie Pannequin (CNRS & University of Montpellier, France)
• Thomas Pradeu (CNRS & University of Bordeaux, France). Topic: The role of the microbiome in metastasis
• Pierre Sujobert (CIRI, Lyon, France)

Three round tables:

• Development & regeneration
• Repair and immunity
• Non-cancerous pathologies