Therapeutic Targeting of Human Prostate Cancer

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The broad objective of this conference is to bring together basic and clinical scientists to discuss new therapeutic targeting strategies for eradicating or preventing prostate cancer. The goal is to accelerate both the pace of discovery of new knowledge in the prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer and the translation of these discoveries into practical applications. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death of men in the United States. Prostate cancer has unique features not shared by other epithelial malignancies. Currently new advances have been made in understanding molecular progression event in the disease and clinically relevant insights exist. However, there are few examples of new therapies to treat prostate cancer. The goal of this meeting is to provide a forum for the exchange of new information and ideas concerning the molecular basis for prostate cancer development and stimulate translational research to solve clinically relevant problems in the disease. This meeting is structured such that within each session presentations are given on clinically relevant features and the molecular cellular biology or genetic aspect of the disease. In particular, sessions will emphasize alterations in the extracellular matrix and their receptors, stromal-epithelial interactions, genetic risk factors, early targeting for chemoprevention and imaging of the prostate gland. This is an inaugural meeting that is important for two reasons. It provides a forum for the interaction of clinicians and scientists to examine particular discoveries in prostate cancer biology within the context of clinically relevant issues. The meeting also will serve as an interface for the development of novel therapeutic strategies based upon the basic biology of the prostate gland. It is anticipated that the exchange of information and ideas through a highly interactive meeting will help generate new concepts and ideas that will have an impact on prostate cancer prevention and cure.