New approaches in personalized medicine:

From prenatal testing to targeted tumor therapy

November 8-9, 2018, Budapest, Hungary

Basic Science Center, Semmelweis University

Tűzoltó 37-43, Budapest, 1094, Hungary

Chairperson: Prof. Péter Lakatos

1st Department of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

 

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, sophisticated methods developed by medicine have made it possible to personalize diagnostics and treatments. The mainstream of this approach is based on the new achievements of cell and molecular biology. In the present symposium, we would like to show the audience the most up-to-date procedures in endocrinology, oncology, hematology, prenatal genetics and rare diseases that could be utilized in the everyday personalized care.

In the endocrinology session, we will discuss treatment of diabetes by stem cells as well as PCSK-9 inhibition for the improvement of familial hypercholesterinemia. You may learn new data on the most recent methods in the detection of endocrine tumors. Sequential therapy of osteoporosis or most relevant genetic diagnostics in the identification of thyroid tumors can also be met at the meeting.

The last topic brings us to oncology that will also include unique modalities in the management of colorectal and breast cancers as well as other solid tumors. The role of the RANK-RANKL system in the development of malignancies will be covered in a separate presentation. We would like to show you the potential of liquid biopsy in the care of cancerous patients and the importance of the applications of cell-free nucleic acids in the clinical diagnosis.

Cell-free nucleic acids attract the attention of experts dealing with prenatal matters. The use of these molecules in the non-invasive prenatal diagnostics is more and more extensive, and provide an unbelievable array of possibilities already nowadays. The comprehensive use of recent comparative genomic hybridization arrays adds to this tool set. This all can lead us to the “creation” of designer babies through preimplantational genetics. Is it really something we are longing for? You can find out from the talks.

Hematology has also been living its revolution for the last 10-15 years. That resulted in BITE-ing or CAR T-cell therapy and a number of other fantastic diagnostic and therapeutic methods you can learn with the help of our speakers. But if you are interested in rare diseases, we offer you quite a few intriguing facts to hear of, let alone the newest scientific tests you may think about.

We will also organize a special session for the emerging techniques that may sound like science fiction but already coming up, and that will change our clinical routine in the very near future. Our speakers will show you CRISPR/base editing techniques and other specialties (such as Agilent Seahorse or the next generation of digital optical barcode technology). You will be shown what we learned from the salamander in terms of limb regeneration as well. The future of genetic identity determination is something you may have seen in the StarTrek series but it has come true.

Beside top-of-the line Hungarian experts, well-known international speakers will be invited. Thus, everything is organized and arranged in order to have an outstanding experience in the two days we are going to spend together. We hope that we can welcome you among our guests in November!

Sincerely yours,

Prof. Peter Lakatos