Welcome

It is a pleasure to invite you to our IDIBELL Cancer Conference (ICC) on Epigenetics in Lymphocyte Biology and Disease, to be held in Barcelona on the 13th-14th of September 2012. The conference will have around 200 attendees and will be held at the Ateneu Barcelonès, which is located in the heart of the historic centre of Barcelona.

Proper lymphocyte differentiation and function is the result of multiple cell lineage choices, cell commitment and differentiation processes within the hematopoietic system. These cellular transitions take place in a stepwise manner and are regulated at the transcriptional level. Deregulation of these particular transcriptional programs leads to the development of hematological malignancies such as leukemias and lymphomas, autoimmune diseases or immunodeficiencies. In recent years, investigators working in this field have made significant advances towards understanding the contribution of transcription factors and epigenetic control during lymphopoiesis at both physiological and pathological levels. The existence of complex relationships between transcription factors and the epigenetic machinery that are essential for the proper establishment and maintenance of lymphocytes identity has been established.

The main goal of the ICC on Epigenetics in Lymphocyte Biology and Disease is to bring together a selected group of worldwide leading researchers working on different aspects of lymphocyte biology to discuss the latest advances on this subject. We will discuss novel findings in our understanding of the epigenetic events that contribute to normal and aberrant lymphocyte function.

Applicants are encouraged to submit abstracts. A limited number of these abstracts will be selected for poster or oral presentation.

We are looking forward to meeting you all in Barcelona

Esteban Ballestar, Maribel Parra and Thomas Graf