Cancer cells can subvert the normal tissue architecture and reprogram the activity of stromal cells to their advantage. The formation of new blood vessels, the recruitment of inflammatory cells and the activation of resident cells, are key stromal events promoting cancer cell survival, invasion and metastasis.

Advances in the understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying tumor-stroma interactions, tumor angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis have opened new perspectives to the development of new anti-cancer strategies. Anti-angiogenic therapies have entered clinical practice, but many  questions remain unsolved and new are emerging : how to monitor angiogenesis, how do tumors adapt to anti-angiogenic treatments and metabolic starvation, what is the mechanism of resistance to anti-angioenic therapy ? Answering these questions will require increased understanding of tumor-host interactions, including the role of bone marrow-mobilized and tumor-infiltrating inflammatory cells.

The scope of this conference is to gather leading scientists working on these aspects of cancer research to present recent results and discuss future research, including clinical implications.

The conference will take place from October 31-November 4, 2010, at the Centro Stefano Franscini at Monte Verità in Ascona (southern Switzerland), the International Conference Center of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETHZ). The conference parc of the the Centro Stefano Fanscini cycle of conference and is an event of the The National Center for Competence in Research (NCCR), Molecular Oncology.

The total number of participants will be limited to 100. If applications exceed available space, participants will be selected based on the scientific excellence of the submitted abstracts and publication record. All registered participants are invited to present a poster. A limited number of short communications will be selected from the submitted abstracts.

We look forward to an exciting meeting and welcoming you at Monte Verità,

The organizers,

Kari Alitalo, University of Helsinki

Tatiana Petrova, University of Lausanne

Curzio Rüegg, University of Fribourg and Lausanne