Dear Students and Colleagues,

You are cordially invited to the lecture of MU Life Sciences Seminar:

"Developmental Origin and Evolution of Childhood Cancers" by Dr Frank Westermann, (German Cancer Research Center, Germany).

WHEN: Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 4 p.m.
WHERE: Seminar room 132, pavilion B11, University Campus Bohunice

Remember to bring your ISIC card to the lecture.

PhD students who would like to attend a sponsored lunch with Dr Westermann (Thursday, at 13:00 at Campus River), please register by Wednesday 23rd, 2024 using the form at the website.

With best regards,
Linda Nosková
MU LSS administrator
noskova@sci.muni.cz

Developmental Origin and Evolution of Childhood Cancersion

A fundamental difference between tumors arising in children and those in adults stem for the cellular origin of cancer at different ages. Adult cancers arise within aging cell populations as a consequence of accumulated damage and mutagenesis, whereas childhood tumors develop in aberrantly developing tissues. The different cellular origin of adult and childhood cancers also define locations and histological subtypes. Adult cancers are mostly epithelial, whereas childhood cancers are rarely epithelial and are mainly derived from mesodermal and ectodermal developmental lineages. Our research focus is to define the cellular origin(s) of cancers diagnosed in early childhood and to understand early evolution as well as all features of malignant progression of these malignancies. We incorporate in our research program basic developmental biology studies as well as classical target discovery and validation projects. Our final goals are to improve diagnosis, including early detection, risk stratification and to develop novel therapeutic concepts for high-risk pediatric cancers that take into account their specific, occasionally unique, vulnerabilities.