Released on: March 19, 2008, 4:31 pm

Press Release Author: GTCbio

Industry: Biotech

Press Release Summary: Jan Paul Medema, Professor of Experimental Oncology and
Radiobiology at the Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, will
give a presentation at the 4th International Stem Cell Research & Therapeutics, Apr
17-18, 2008 in Boston, MA

Press Release Body: Jan Paul Medema, Professor of Experimental Oncology and
Radiobiology at the Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, will
give a presentation at the 4th International Stem Cell Research & Therapeutics, Apr
17-18, 2008 in Boston, MA.

Dr. Medema will discuss colon cancer stem cells, their resistance and
differentiation. A novel paradigm in tumor biology suggests that cancer growth is
driven by stem-like cells within a tumor. Dr. Medema will describe the
identification and characterization of such cells from colon carcinomas using the
stem cell marker CD133 that accounts around 2% of the cells in human colon cancer.
The CD133+ cells grow in vitro as undifferentiated tumor spheroids and they are both
necessary and sufficient to initiate tumor growth in immunodeficient mice.
Xenografts resemble the original human tumor maintaining the rare subpopulation of
tumorigenic CD133+ cells. Further analysis revealed that the CD133+ cells produce
and utilize IL-4 to protect themselves from apoptosis. Consistently, treatment with
IL-4R antagonist or anti-IL-4 neutralizing antibody strongly enhances the anti-tumor
efficacy of standard chemotherapeutic drugs through selective sensitization of
CD133+ cells. This suggests that colon tumor growth is dictated by stem-like cells
that are treatment resistant due to the autocrine production of IL-4.

The conference also features presentations from other leading organizations such as
FDA, Geron, Joint Committee on Health Care Financing (by Senator Richard Moore),
Merck, MIT, Novartis, Pfizer, Sangamo BioSciences, Sanofi Aventis, Stemagen, UCSB,
University of Van Amsterdam, Whitehead Institute, and many more. The full agenda is
available online at www.gtcbio.com.

GTCbio's 4th Stem Cell Research & Therapeutics will take place on April 17-18, 2008
in Boston, MA and will cover Stem Cell Biology, Adult Stem Cells, Embryonic Stem
Cells, Differentiation of Stem Cells, Epigenomics & Reprogramming of Stem Cells,
Regenerative Medicine & Therapeutics, Stem Cell Imaging, Regulatory Aspects &
Funding Opportunities, Cancer Stem Cells, and Stem Cell Applications in Drug
Discovery.

For more information including a detailed agenda, exhibitor opportunities and
registration information visit http://gtcbio.com/userAgenda.aspx?id=120

ABOUT GTCbio

GTCbio organizes conferences specifically for the biomedical and biopharmaceutical
industries. Our goal is to facilitate the exchange of biopharmaceutical and
biomedical intelligence between industry leaders, academic and government
organizations, and the financial community.

GTCbio is a subsidiary of Global Technology Community, LLC, a privately held company
founded in 2002.

Contact: GTCBIO (626) 256-6405, (626) 256-6460 fax, raniah@gtcbio.com



Web Site: http://gtcbio.com

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256-6460 fax, ninatran@gtcbio.com