This conference is being organized 20 years after the first AACR Special Conference on “DNA Methylation, Imprinting, and the Epigenetics of Cancer” in Puerto Rico, which highlighted the important role of epigenetics in carcinogenesis. In March 2018 in Atlanta, we will present eight plenary sessions emphasizing the progress made in the past 20 years. The cross-talk between DNA methylation and chromatin will be addressed, as will the influence of the environment and inflammation on chromatin structure. Two sessions will be devoted to the importance of mutations of DNMT3A and of the TETs in clonal hematopoiesis and cancers. Twenty years ago in Puerto Rico, serious doubts were aired regarding the use of DNA methylation inhibitors in the clinic, but today they are the standard of care for myelodysplastic syndrome. The use of these agents to prime patients for immunotherapy will be a session topic, and epigenetic modulation in developing cancers will be another. We will also address new developments in the activation of the non-coding genome—particularly endogenous retroviruses as therapeutic targets—as well as breakthroughs in single-cell analysis of the epigenome, which offer exciting new approaches unimaginable 20 years ago. Join us for a stimulating view of the status of epigenetics in cancer therapy today.
- Targeting DNA Methylation and Chromatin for Cancer Therapy