CCSB makes debut with big symposium
The Center for Cancer Systems Biology held its first annual symposium May 2-3 on campus. CCSB was launched in 2010 with a $12.8 million award from the National Institutes of Health and is one of 12 centers sponsored by the agency.
The CCSB meshes biological and computational research to reconstruct molecular networks in the study of non-solid tumors such as adult myeloid leukemia, follicular lymphoma and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The center is also working to establish resources for complex data analysis and an education and outreach component targeted to the Stanford cancer research community and the community at large.
“Many opportunities for breakthrough discoveries in cancer lie at the intersection of multiple disciplines,” said associate professor of radiology Sylvia Plevritis, PhD. “In our first symposium on cancer systems biology, we highlighted the integration of experimental and computational disciplines. All of the presentations showed that the intersection of these disciplines is becoming almost seamless.” Plevritis directs the center; professor of microbiology and immunology Garry Nolan, PhD, is the co-director.
The 120 attendees at the symposium focused on modeling the role of cancer differentiation from experimental and computational biological perspectives. The goal is to better understand the self-renewing properties of cancer for the identification of more effective therapeutic targets and strategies.
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