Speaker:

Pranela Rameshwar, PhD
Professor of Medicine-Hematology/Oncology
UMDNJ

Title:

MicroRNA in breast cancer dormancy

Abstract:

Previous failure of autologous bone marrow transplantation as a viable treatment of breast cancer opens the field for investigational studies since the bone marrow, as a source of tertiary cancer metastasis, remains a clinical dilemma. Furthermore, during cancer relapse, the bone marrow has been identified as the source of the cancer. The hypothesis is that Oct-4-expressing breast cancer cells attain dormancy by the formation of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) between bone marrow stroma and breast cancer cells. The GJIC facilitates exchange of miRNAs between the cancer and stromal cells. Data will be presented to show the mechanism of dormancy, and the challenges to develop effective therapies to target the dormant cancer cells in bone marrow. The seminary will focus on the other stem cells in bone marrow that show similarities with the dormant breast cancer cells. These findings indicate that targeted therapies are required such as bioengineering approaches.

The speaker will discuss the current revolution as we move to more minimally invasive strategies to perform procedures through small, keyhole or in some cases "No incisions".  Are there real limitations to what we can do in regards to performing big operations through "small incisions", or are we merely waiting on Biomedical Engineering to solve the current problems and catch?