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Metastasis Beyond Cancer, Sète (France)

Name: Metastasis Beyond Cancer, Sète (France)
Start: 2025-03-25T00:00:00+01:00
End: 2025-03-28T23:59:59+01:00
Location: 22 Chemins des Ivrognes, 34200 Sète, France

25 March - 28 March

This interdisciplinary workshop will gather world-leading experts on metastasis with different domains of specialization, from cancer biology to medical oncology, evolutionary biology, and to philosophy of biology. Our key underlying question is: to what extent can metastasis exist beyond traditionally defined cancer?

Argument:

Cancer is one of the main causes of death globally according to the World Health Organization. The biological complexity and heterogeneity of this disease (or group of diseases) make it very difficult to apprehend, control, and cure. We strongly believe that more theoretical and conceptual efforts can benefit cancer research. To this aim we have initiated a series of international workshops whose aim is to gather philosophers, scientists, and medical doctors to discuss theoretical and conceptual challenges that are central to cancer research. In the present workshop, the focus will be on metastasis. Metastasis is a major challenge for cancer treatment and a leading cause of cancer death. Innovative conceptual and theoretical frameworks are highly needed in the domain of metastasis. In this workshop, our aims will be to (1) identify the key components of metastasis; (2) discuss whether these components are specific to cancer or can also be observed in other pathologies or even normal contexts; (3) investigate the interaction between metastases and extrinsic factors including recipient tissues, immune system and the microbiome.

Speakers:

Andy Ewald (Johns Hopkins University, USA)
Peter Friedl (Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherland)
Christophe Ginestier (INSERM, CRCM, Marseille, France)
Julie Guillermet (INSERM, CRCT, Toulouse, France)
Lucie Laplane (CNRS, University Pantheon-Sorbonne & Gustave Roussy, France)
Carlo Maley (Arizona State University, USA)
Julie Pannequin (CNRS & University of Montpellier, France)
Thomas Pradeu (CNRS & University of Bordeaux, France)
Pierre Sujobert (CIRI, Lyon, France)

Schedule:

Tuesday

11h-12h30: Public talk by Andy Ewald at the University of Montpellier (Exact title TBD)

14h30-17h30: Round table 1: Definition of metastasis (animated by Carlo Maley)

Wednesday

09h30-12h30: Round table 1: Metastasis and Microbiota (animated by Thomas Pradeu)

14h30-17h30: Round table 2: Metastasis in pre-cancerous lesions (animated by Julie Pannequin and Julie Guillermet)

Thursday

09h30-12h30: Round table 3: Metastasis in malignant non-cancerous disease (animated by Christophe Ginestier)

14h30-17h30: Round table 4: Metastasis in healthy conditions (animated by Peter Friedl)

Friday

09h30-12h30: Round table 5: Metastasis in blood cancers (animated by Pierre Sujobert)

14h30-16h30: Round table 6: What did we learn about cancer through this specific investigation of metastasis (animated by Lucie Laplane)

Among the main topics that will be discussed:

Relations between metastasis and development & regeneration
Metastasis, repair and immunity
Metastasis-lie phenomena in non-cancerous pathologies

Organizers

Lucie Laplane (CNRS, University Pantheon-Sorbonne & Gustave Roussy, France)
Julie Pannequin (CNRS & University of Montpellier, France)
Thomas Pradeu (CNRS & University of Bordeaux, France)

Funding

This workshop is funded by the Betty and Gordon Moore Foundation (Project’s PI: T. Pradeu), with additional support from the University of Montpellier and the Fondation ARC for research against cancer.