News — Scientific discoveries on Hereditary Cancer Syndromes have evolved in recent years, with advances in understanding the genetic basis of various tumors and the biological underpinnings of inherited cancer syndromes. This progress has also led to the development of new oncological treatments for sporadic tumors with similar pathological mechanisms.
The recent conference, “From biologic mechanisms to theragnostic paths in the Hereditary Cancer Syndromes: germline mutations as a therapeutic target,” held at Temple University last month and co-directed by Prof. Antonio Giordano together with Prof. Viviana Bazan, presented an interactive, comprehensive program dedicated to genetic oncology, including basic and translational research results in the field of genetic study. More than one hundred biomedical students attended the conference in Philadelphia, as well as remote attendees from around the world.
“Our Congress has been a real celebration,” says Antonio Giordano, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Founder and Director of the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO). “A celebration of genetic science along with the academic community with the same goal: to promote the exchange of specialist medical knowledge and the experience of young scientists not just from the city of Philadelphia but from all over the world.”
Among the main topics covered were the homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway and the BRCA-associated tumors, the role of germline mutations in HRR and PARP-inhibitors, the Syndromic gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), such as the Carney triad syndrome, Carney-Stratakis syndrome, and Type 1 neurofibromatosis (NF1), and the gut microbiome as potential biomarker for colorectal cancer prevention and management.
Among the Speakers present were Viviana Bazan, University of Palermo, Italy; Lorena Incorvaia, MD, Ph.D. University of Palermo, Italy; Demet Sag, Ph.D., Functional Transgenomics, Newtown, Massachusetts, the U.S.A.; David Orchid-Webb, Ph.D., University of Leeds, U.K.; Steve Williams, Ph.D. Temple University, the U.S.A.; Massimo Caruso - M.Sc., Ph.D., University of Catania, Italy; Wen-Ming Chu, Ph.D. University of Hawaii, Sbarro Health Research Organization; Gianfranco Bellipanni, Ph.D. Temple University, the U.S.A.; Elisa Ventura, Ph.D. Temple University, the U.S.A.; Andrea Morrione, Ph.D. Temple University, the U.S.A., Ang Sun - Ph.D., Temple University, the U.S.A., Valerio Gristina, MD, Ph.D., University of Palermo, Italy.
“The most important thing about this congress has been the active participation of young scientists,” Giordano concludes. “This is the greatest pleasure and reward for us - the opportunity to see and hear researchers not only from our Institute but also from European countries.”
In his concluding remarks to the conference, Giordano announced that he intends to arrange the next International Congress of Genetics soon.
About the Sbarro Health Research Organization
The Sbarro Health Research Organization () is non-profit charity committed to funding excellence in basic genetic research to cure and diagnose cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other chronic illnesses and to foster the training of young doctors in a spirit of professionalism and humanism. To learn more about the SHRO please visit
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