Synopsis
Unlocking the Future of Biomedical Research: The Power of Extrachromosomal Circular DNA
Extrachromosomal circular DNA (ecDNA) is rapidly emerging as a groundbreaking frontier in biomedical science. Unlike linear chromosomes, circular DNA has no free ends, challenging traditional genetic paradigms and unveiling entirely new biological mechanisms. Found across diverse life forms—from plants to animals and humans—circular DNA is now recognized as a key player in nearly 30% of cancer patients, where it drives oncogene amplification, tumor initiation, and disease progression. This has sparked intense interest in targeting circular DNA for innovative cancer therapies, drawing both academic and industry attention.
This exclusive meeting will bring together leading scientists exploring ecDNA across various domains, including cancer, viruses, plants, and model organisms. With a small, focused audience, we aim to foster deep discussions, knowledge exchange, and collaborative opportunities in an interactive setting.
If you study extrachromosomal circular DNA or have interest in studying them, please join us to be part of this dynamic and rapidly evolving field, where the next breakthroughs in cancer and virus research and therapeutic development await.
Key Sessions
- Chromosomal or Extrachromosomal
- Life cycle of extrachromosomal circular DNA
- Function of extrachromosomal circular DNA
- From Selfish elements: viruses and transposons
- Genome dynamics and evolution
- Cancer and other diseases
Confirmed Invited Speakers
Vineet Bafna (University of California, San Diego)
THE SIGNATURE, SEQUENCE, AND 3-D STRUCTURE OF ecDNA
Yves Barral (ETH Zurich)
Jef Boeke (NYU Langone Health)
Howard Chang (Stanford University)
Haiyun Gan (Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology)
Bikram Gill (Kansas State University)
Peng Han (University of Copenhagen)
Anton Henssen (Max Delbrück Center)
EXTRACHROMOSOMAL ONCOGENE AMPLIFICATIONS IN PEDIATRIC CANCERS
Ruth Kroschewski (ETH Zurich)
Heng-Chi Lee (University of Chicago)
Micah Luftig (Duke University)
Wei Lv (Zhejiang University)
SPATIAL-TEMPORAL DIVERSITY OF EXTRACHROMOSOMAL DNA SHAPES UROTHELIAL CARCINOMA EVOLUTION AND TUMOR-IMMUNE MICROENVIRONMENT
Paul Mischel (Stanford University)
Agnel Sfeir (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)
UNCOVERING THE ROLE OF DNA REPAIR IN ecDNA MAINTENANCE
Chun-Qing Song (Westlake University)
Monica Triana (University of Copenhagen)
Roel Verhaak (Yale University)
Chia-Lin Wei (University of Washington)
Sihan Wu (UT Southwestern)
THE CENTRAL DOGMA FOR ecDNA – ON ITS REPLICATION, REPAIR, AND SEGREGATION
Target Audience
Emerging as a new frontier for researchers globally, the topics discussed during this meeting will interest the broad biomedical research community, with emphasis on those with a research focus on genome dynamics, epigenetics, virology, and immunology, and wider topics surrounding the cancer genome and cancer evolution.
Educational Need
Extrachromosomal circular DNA brings a layer of genome dynamics to alter the genetic information. This process appears to be essential for promoting animal development and driving diseases. For example, cancer cells extensively exploit this DNA form to evolve within patient and as such, understanding its biology would bring novel perspectives for developing new therapeutic modalities.
Supported By
Media Partners
If you're interested in sponsoring this conference please contact us.