Stem cells are essential to maintain regenerative tissues, and are a critical component of repair processes in response to tissue injury and infection. Moreover, genetic alterations of stem cells and their progeny can lead to the generation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that can drive tumorigenesis in hierarchically organized cancer entities.

The 7th International Heinrich F. C. Behr Symposium is dedicated for the fourth time to the exciting topic of “Stem Cells and Cancer”. The symposium will be jointly organized by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, and the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. The symposium will be hosted by the DKFZ in Heidelberg from October 14 – 16, 2012. We are expecting a highly interactive meeting sparked by a panel of internationally renowned speakers who will discuss their latest data with an audience of about 300 students and scientists. A poster session as well as a “meet the speaker” dinner party will further foster scientific exchange.

The organizers are proud to be able to present a program that covers a wide range of important aspects of stem cell biology and its link to cancer. Focus areas of the 2012 Symposium include:

•     Leukemic stem cells and microenvironment
•     Brain tumor stem cells
•     Stem cells of solid tumors and metastasis
•     Reprogramming and stem cell pathways