Cancer Experts Meet in Boston to Discuss a Promising Approach to Treating the Disease

Symposium on the HIF-1a protein and the potential for new medicines targeting it will be held at Harvard Medical School on October 22

News provided by

Cerulean Pharma

Oct 21, 2013, 09:00 ET

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Academics, healthcare providers, and pharmaceutical industry professionals are gathered in Boston to discuss the latest advances in cancer research. The evening of Tuesday, October 22, those professionals are invited to attend a symposium that will explore one of the most exciting targets in cancer treatment, a protein called hypoxia-inducible factor-1a, or HIF-1a.

The role of HIF-1a in solid tumors has been well documented. It is often present in solid tumors where hypoxic, or low oxygen, conditions are common, and its presence may be increased by anti-angiogenic medicines and radiation. Because HIF-1a can promote resistance, leaders in government, academia, and industry have long sought an effective HIF-1a inhibitor. This week, experts will discuss whether the potential of HIF-1a inhibition is soon to become a reality.

The pre-clinical panel features Giovanni Melillo, MD, of AstraZeneca and formerly of the National Cancer Institute; Sarah Conley, PhD, of MedImmune and formerly of the Max Wicha Lab at the University of Michigan; Amato Giaccia, PhD, of Stanford University; and Robert Kerbel, PhD, of the University of Toronto.

The clinical panel features William Kaelin, MD, of Harvard Medical School; Laura Benjamin, PhD, of Eli Lilly; Mark Dewhirst, DVM, PhD, of Duke University School of Medicine; and Steve Keefe, MD, of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Oliver Fetzer, PhD, President and CEO of symposium sponsor, Cerulean Pharma, will welcome attendees, and Robert A. Weinberg, PhD, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will provide closing remarks.

WHO:	Academics, professionals, and journalists interested in the latest research on the HIF-1a protein and the advances that illustrate its value as a target for new medicines
WHAT:	HIF-1a: Ready for Prime Time? includes pre-clinical and clinical panels, closing remarks, a poster exhibition, and a dinner reception
WHEN:	Tuesday, October 22, 2013, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
WHERE:	Joseph B. Martin Conference Center, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115
REGISTER:	Online at www.HIFSymposium.com, via email at [email protected] with "HIF Symposium" in the subject line, or by phone at 845-265-2155 specifying "HIF Symposium"; please note institution, degree, and phone number when registering; there is no fee