Invited speaker seminar by Prof. David Lyden on "Cancer-derived extracellular vesicles: impacts on pre-metastatic niches and systemic effects"

As part of the prestigious Princess Lilian Award, Prof. David Lyden (Weill Cornell Medical College, USA) will visit Belgian labs at various universities for 1 week. Linked to this, he will also give a lecture each time, and everyone is welcome to attend these lectures.

On Friday 19 April we have the honor of receiving David Lyden in Ghent, with a lecture on Cancer-derived extracellular vesicles (EVPs): impacts on pre-metastatic niches and systemic effects”: Besides PMN formation, EVPs can promote pathological events in other organs not destined for metastasis. The systemic effects (beyond metastasis) of EVPs will be discussed in support of liver metabolic dysfunction, cardiovascular complications, cachexia and impaired immune function.

Hosted by Prof. Olivier De Wever & Prof. An Hendrix

Where? Meeting room ‘TOGETHER’ in The CORE, UZGent campus, entrance 37B

When? 19th of April from 16.00-17.00h (followed by reception)

Registration is free but obligatory (and limited to 60 people!) via this link

Below, you can find the preliminary program of the lectures by Prof. Lyden in Belgium:

Day 1 (ULiège) Wednesday April 17 (presumably: 18:00): Opening ceremony in the presence of Princess Esmeralda of Belgium
Host: A. Noël
Opening lecture: “The pre-metastatic niche concept”: Primary tumor-secreted factors, such as soluble factors and extracellular vesicles and particles (EVPs), disseminate systemically, reprogramming local (i.e., lymph nodes) and distant microenvironments (i.e., lungs). These reprogrammed microenvironments are characterized by vascular leakiness, extracellular matrix remodeling, inflammation, and immunosuppression; altogether they comprise pre-metastatic niches (PMNs), permissive microenvironments which attract disseminated tumor cells to home and colonize multiple organ sites (lymph nodes, lungs, bone, liver, and brain). 

Day 3 (UGent) Friday April 19 (presumably: 16:00)
Hosts: A. Hendrix, O. De Wever
Lecture: “Cancer-derived extracellular vesicles (EVPs): impacts on pre-metastatic niches and systemic effects”: Besides PMN formation, EVPs can promote pathological events in other organs not destined for metastasis. We will discuss the systemic effects (beyond metastasis) of EVPs in support of liver metabolic dysfunction, cardiovascular complications, cachexia and impaired immune function.

Day 4 (KUL-VUB) Monday April 22 (time to be announced)
Hosts: G. Bergers, C. Scheele, P. Agostinis, Jo Van Ginderachter
Lecture: “The PMN Immune Landscape and Inflammation”: Immune modulation at pre-metastatic organ sites is an essential step in PMN formation. Both recruited and resident innate cells and adaptive immune cells interact with resident cells (fibroblasts and endothelial cells) to reprogram an immunosuppressive distant microenvironment. Cancer-derived EVPs preferentially induce polarization of immune cells towards a tumor-promoting phenotype and prevent infiltration and activation of anti-tumor lymphocytes, generating an immunosuppressive and permissive metastatic microenvironment. In turn, immune-derived EVPs have shown both anti- and pro-tumorigenic functions, highlighting the different contribution of immune cell-derived EVPs in the progression of a range of tumor types.

Day 5 (UCL-ULB) Tuesday April 23 (time to be announced)
Hosts: S. Lucas, S. Gorieli
Lecture: “Significance of the pre-metastatic niche for patient strategy and treatment”: The PMN’s translational role in determining cancer metastasis and outcome in patients will be addressed.