Oncology
Receptor tyrosine kinases have proven attractive targets for antineoplastic therapy, despite of the plethora of signaling pathways activated by them and of the still unresolved mechanisms of action. In this session, the development of inhibitors against the most prominent member of this group, the EGF-receptor, is illustrated in the entire span from discovery to clinical experience, by eminent researchers in this field. In a keynote speech, ethical and social aspects of genome-driven development of cancer drugs research are elucidated.
Systems Biology
In the post-genomic era, the development of a real biology of entire systems finally takes shape. Systems biology views the organism as an integrated and interacting network of genes, proteins and reactions catalyzed by proteins. The session will highlight the use of genomic approaches to create protein interactions networks, as well as applications in drug development and medicine such as pharmacogenomics.