amongst the Latest Findings from the ICGEB “DNA Tumour Virus Meeting held in Trieste from 16-21 July, 2024.
The annual “DNA Tumour Virus” meeting held in Trieste this year, from 16-21 July, was a hotspot for discussions on cutting-edge research in DNA damage, viral infections, cancer development and therapies.
More than 200 scientists converged in Trieste to participate in The “DNA Tumour Virus Meeting”, and to discuss the latest findings in DNA damage, virus and cancer research. Dr. Lawrence Banks ICGEB Director-General and organiser of this year’s meeting (the 6th edition to be held in Trieste) affirms: “Cutting-edge studies were presented that will aid the investigation of many different types of cancer. “In particular”, he added, “Two new experimental models were presented that will boost our understanding of Merkel cell carcinoma.” This is a very rare skin cancer that is caused, in 80% of cases, by the Merkel cell polyomavirus. “We already know that the viral DNA of this virus integrates within the DNA of human skin cells, but the details of the virus-cell interaction are still far from clear.”
The group headed by Prof. Nicole Fischer, of the Clinical University Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany, presented the first skin organoids,( i.e.artificially grown masses of cells or tissue that resemble the entire cell set of the human skin, apart from the immune and vascular components). These organoids reproduce major fetal skin characteristics, including hair and nerves, and represent a system in which to study how Merkel cell polyomavirus infects the cells leading to cancer development.
Additionally, a murine model that faithfully replicates the characteristics of Merkel cell carcinoma was presented by the Dlugosz group, from the University of Michigan, USA.
Not only skin viruses and skin tumours, but current research on more than ten types of cancer and many more viruses was presented at the event. In other striking results, the Parish Group from the University of Birmingham, UK, showed that only one of the Human Papillomaviruses (HPV) – the HPV16 strain – causes head and neck cancer; a disease that is on the rise, by suppressing the local immune response in tonsils. Furthermore, work from a collaboration between the Pastrana group at the NIH and the Tan Group at the University of Iowa, USA, showed that, while monoclonal antibodies are the therapy of choice to neutralise BK viruses (common opportunistic pathogens in kidney transplant recipients), this treatment must be initiated before the actual detection of the viral load, to keep infection under control and avoid kidney failure.
The “DNA Tumour Virus” conference is held each year on rotation and is organised by leading laboratories working in the field in Italy, the USA, Canada, and the UK. It brings together international scientists at the forefront of viral and cancer research who spearhead discovery science, pre-clinical research, and explore new areas to target virus infections in cancer.
