MicroRNAs and Non-Coding RNAs and Cancer (J5) 2011

Studies of tumor-associated genetic alterations and expression profiling normal and tumor cells, disease-associated stroma, and immune cells increasingly point to non-coding RNAs as key players in cancer biology. Since strategies that intervene in non-coding RNA pathways for therapeutic purposes are moving rapidly into the clinic, it is critical to deepen our understanding of the biology of small RNAs in the context of cancer. The goal of the proposed meeting is to bring together biologists studying the basic principles of non-coding RNA-based regulation and those studying the roles of non-coding RNAs in cancer with both industrial and clinical researchers focused on translating non-coding RNA-based therapies into the clinic. It is our hope that the resulting synergy will create both a deeper understanding of gene regulatory mechanisms and how they are altered in cancer and new opportunities to exploit this understanding for the benefit of cancer patients.