Programme

The 2013 International A-T Workshops will bring together a broad spectrum of scientists and clinicians working on various aspects of the clinical and cellular phenotypes of Ataxia Telangiectasia, ATM null deficient models and the role of ATM and ATM related pathways in neural differentiation, development, tumourigenesis and the DNA damage response.

The aims of the workshop are to:

  • Share and communicate experience and expertise in understanding the rare disorder, A-T
  • Provide an interdisciplinary forum to consider the multifaceted A-T disorder and ATM function
  • Understand how ATM functions as a tumour suppressor
  • Promote interaction between clinicians, basic and translational scientists to treat A-T and cancer
  • Allow junior scientists/clinicians to meet with and learn from international experts

We have assembled a programme interfacing clinical, basic and translational scientists covering the range of disciplines relevant to A-T, of which cancer predisposition and treatment is central.

Sunday 28th July 

Sunday
 18.30 Welcome Dinner
 20.00

Keynote Speakers
Steve Jackson
The cellular response to DNA damage - potential for therapy 
EACR Sponsored Speaker  

Malcolm Taylor
Ataxia telangiectasia in the British Isles 

 21.30 Close

Monday 29th July

day 2
 08.30

Session 1: Neurodegeneration in A-T

Chair: Peter McKinnon

Current understanding of cerebellar and non cerebellar defects in A-T Clinical assessment of the spectrum of neurological deficiency
Neuropathology of A-T
Animal models of A-T
Approaches to therapy of the neurological defect in A-T

Tom Crawford, Clinical assessment- potential for therapeutic indices
Ari Barzilai, The role of malfunctioning DDR in impaired functionality of neuro-glio-vascular unit
Rick Livesey, Neuronal stem cell development
Peter McKinnon 
Gerald Shadel - Mitochondrial stress in aging and A-T: lessons from model systems

10.30 Refreshment Break
 11.00

Session 2: Cancer In ataxia telangiectasia and role of ATM loss in sporadic tumours 

Chair: Dominique Stoppa Lyonnet and Malcolm Taylor 

Current understanding of cancer risks in both children and adults with A-T
Role of ATM in both lymphoid tumour and breast cancer development
Targeting the ATM null cellular phenotype in tumours

Malcolm Taylor, Understanding of cancer risks in children and adults with A-T
Louise Izatt, Surveillance for breast cancer in A-T families
Deborah Thompson, Epidemiology of genetic predisposition to breast cancer
Pat Concannon, Genetics of second primary breast cancer following radiotherapy
Tanja Stankovic, Targeting the ATM null phenotype

 13.00 Lunch and Poster Session 1 
 15.00 Visit to Stratford upon Avon 
 18.00 Close

Tuesday 30th July

day 3
08.30

Session 3: Immunodeficiency in A-T

Chair: Corry Weemaes

Current view of the clinical immunological deficiency in ataxia telangiectasia and ATM dependent defect in VDJ recombination/class switching
Clinical assessment of immunological defect
A-T and an aged immune system
Therapies for A-T immunodeficiency

Stefan Zielen, Frankfurt Clinical immunology of A-T/therapy of A-T
Howard Lederman, Inflammation and AT
Andrew Exley, Aging immune system and A-T
Mirjam van der Burg, Hypogammaglobulinaemia in A-T
Barry Sleckman, ATM dependent defects in VDJ recombination
Shan Zha, DNA damage response and immunodeficiency

 10.30 Refreshments
 11.30

Session 4: DNA damage signalling and cancer 

Chair: Penny Jeggo

Susan Lees Miller
Andre Nussenzweig
Tej Pandita
Markus Lobrich- Pathways of double-strand break repair during the mammalian cell cycle

 13.00 Lunch 
 14.00

Session 5: Treatment (therapy and stem cells)

Chair: Yossi Shiloh

Guest Speaker
Richard Gatti
Ataxia telangiectasia- the potential for therapy 

Martin Lavin - Use of stem cell models to investigate the neurodegenerative phenotype in A-T
Domenica Delia - Functionality of neurons generated from A-T and NBS-derived iPS cells –title later
Luciana Chessa – Steroids in Ataxia Telangiectasia: molecular mechanisms and clinical outcomes  

 17.00

Session 7: Late breaking session

Contributed talks  

 18.00 Poster Session 2 
 20.00 Conference Dinner 

Wednesday 31st July

day 4
 08.30 Session 8: Lessons to be learned from related diseases/genes

Guest Speaker
Oscar Fernandez Capetillo

Manuel Stucki - NBS1 and the nucleolar response to DNA double-strand breaks
Vincenzo Costanzo (accepted, no title)
Sherif El-Khamisy (Protein-linked Chromosomal Break Repair and Neurodegeration) 
 10.30  Refreshments
 11.00

Session 10: Non-nuclear functions of ATM

Chaired by Dick Gatti

Guest Speaker
Mike Kastan
Non-nuclear functions of ATM

Ester Hammond Hypoxia-induced activation of ATM in the absence of DNA damage
Cheryl Walker

Contributed talks

 13.00 Lunch 
 14.00

Session 6: New and breaking aspects

Guest Speaker
Yossi Shiloh
From bedside to bench and back again
EACR Sponsored Speaker

 16.00 Refreshments 
16.30 Close

Programme subject to change 

Many thanks to our generous sponsors                

Thursday 17th May
  AT Society
 
 
APRAT Association for International Cancer Research
EACR New England Bio Labs
CRUK Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research