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ABSTRACTION
June 10-11

Short Courses | Day 1 | Day 2 | Download Brochure

Wednesday, June 11

7:00 am - 4:00 pm Registration Open

7:00-8:00 Beyond Talking - Communicating Facilitated Break-out Discussion Groups and Morning Coffee

8:15 Chairperson’s Remarks

Keynote Presentation

8:20 From Molecular Interaction Networks to the Master Regulators of Neoplastic Phenotypes: Cancer Systems Biology Comes of Age
Andrea Califano, Ph.D., Professor, Director, Columbia National Center for Biomedical Computing, Associate Director, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
The identification of genes acting synergistically as master regulators of physiologic and pathologic cellular phenotypes is still an open problem in systems biology and there are no biochemically validated examples for human cells. Here we apply a systems biology approach to identify the repertoire of transcription factors (TFs) that constitute the master regulation module responsible for synergistic activation of a tumor-specific signature. The same module is sufficient to inhibit the signature associated with the normal cellular state. Specifically, we use the ARACNe algorithm and other computational tools to infer the regulatory module responsible for initiating and maintaining the mesenchymal phenotype of glioblastoma multiforme. In this human tumor, expression of mesenchymal genes is a hallmark of aggressiveness but the upstream regulators of the signature are unknown. We identify a highly interconnected module of six TFs directly linked to 75% of the genes in the signature. Two TFs (Stat3 and C/EBPb) display features of initiators and master regulators of the network. Biochemical validation confirms that the TFs in the module bind to the inferred promoters in vivo and ectopic expression of the master TFs activates expression of the mesenchymal signature. These effects are sufficient to trigger mesenchymal transformation of neural stem cells and promote migration and invasion. Conversely, silencing of Stat3 and C/EBPb in human glioma cells leads to collapse of the mesenchymal signature and reduction of tumor aggressiveness. Our results reveal that activation of a small transcriptional module is necessary and sufficient to induce a mesenchymal phenotype in malignant brain tumors.

8:50 Statistical and Computational Pharmacogenetics: Detecting Genes for Drug Response 
Ronging Wu, Ph.D., Professor, University of Florida Research Foundation Professor, Statistics,
University of Florida

I will present a conceptual framework for computing genes and genome for drug response by integrating mathematical and chemical aspects of drug reactions in the body. With this framework, specific DNA sequence variants can be identified on the basis of the test of a few parameters that define the shape and pattern of drug responses, which thus enhances the precision of parameter estimation as well as biological and clinical relevance in pharmacogenetic and pharmacogenomic research.

9:20 Clotting, Cascades, and Computers - Systems Biology in Personalized Medicine
Michael Roehrl, M.D., Ph.D., Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital 
The human blood clotting system is a complex and highly regulated network of biomolecular interactions. We demonstrate in this talk how data from careful biochemical measurements can be integrated into quantitative and predictive computational models of blood coagulation. Pharmacological manipulation of blood clotting has tremendous medical and pharmaceutical ramifications. Millions of patients receive the oral anticoagulant Coumadin to prevent fatal thromboembolic events. Yet personalized Coumadin dosing is both cumbersome and expensive (requiring frequent blood draws and lab testing) and potentially dangerous. Coumadin is among the top 10 drugs with the largest number of serious adverse event reports submitted to the FDA. We show how a novel Systems Biological approach can be used in the clinical setting to personalize Coumadin dosing and to achieve safe therapeutic goals. Additional specific examples of optimized clinical management using Systems Biology in clinical medicine will be discussed, including both bleeding disorders (hemophilias) and clotting disorders (e.g., Factor V Leiden and protein C or S deficiencies).

9:50 Networking Coffee Break, Poster and Exhibit Viewing

10:45 Identify Pathway Specific Gene Signatures for Cancer Prognosis Using Gene Expression
Profiling Data
Dan Li, Ph.D., Principle Research Scientist, Informatics, Integrative Biology, Eli Lilly and Company
Neoplastic transformation and progression is driven by deregulated cellular pathways that control cell fate, growth, differentiation and survival. Although significant progress has been made to identify and characterize oncogenes, tumor suppressors and the molecular pathways that they
regulate, it remains largely unclear what pathways play a critical role in the development of different tumor types. Post-genomic era technology in gene expression profiling has provided a powerful tool to study gene regulations in cancers at the molecular level. In this study, we developed and applied a novel approach to derive gene signatures for cancer prognosis in the context of known biological pathways.

11:15 Genome-Wide Transcriptional Fingerprinting of Hepatotoxicity Regulatory Networks Using Multiplex Parallel High-Throughput ChIP-on-Chip Assays 
Jeff Falk, Ph.D., Director, Technology Applications, Molecular Biology, Aviva Systems Biology
A genome-wide transcription factor mapping consortium is currently being assembled to facilitate the dissection of key disease and toxicology-related regulatory networks. The consortium will facilitate global identification of key toxicity and disease-related networks and biomarkers by providing reference fingerprints of transcription factor-mediated pathway modulations in key tissues that can then be compared with similar profiles derived from disease-related or therapeutic compound treated samples. We will describe the initial phase of experiments utilizing our next generation ChIP-on-chip technology for mapping of transcriptional networks that pinpoint critical pathways and biomarkers associated with hepatotoxicity. These studies were performed utilizing Affymetrix high density tiling arrays that have been incorporated into an automated high throughput multiplex parallel ChIP-on-Chip system used in conjunction with our internal antibody collection covering all human transcription factors and co-factors. In these initial studies, hepatotoxicity fingerprints were generated by transcriptional mapping of pathways mediated by 50 transcription factors in liver. The results demonstrate the utility of these transcriptional mapping studies in elucidating key pathways, regulatory networks, and biomarkers that have implications in predicting the hepatotoxicity of potential therapeutic drugs.

11:45 Systems Biology of Melanoma
William Kaufmann, Ph.D., Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
I propose to describe a model of human carcinogenesis that is based upon the interaction of an external stress (sunlight) with mutations in the MAPK signaling pathway in melanocytes to cause deletions in the CDKN2A tumor suppressor locus that encodes p16INK4A and ARF. Systems biology approaches to the model include generation of genetic and physical interaction networks to model the DNA damage response, global analysis of gene expression to identify melanoma subtypes, and mathematical models of nucleotide excision repair and G2 DNA damage checkpoint responses.

12:15 pm Close of Morning Session

12:30 Luncheon Technology Workshops
(Sponsorships Available) or Lunch on Your Own

1:45 Chairperson’s Remarks

1:50 Speaker TBA

2:20 Validation of Physiologic Models and Analysis of Uncertainty
Richard Ho, Ph.D., Principal, Rosa & Co.

2:50 Human Cell Systems Biology: A Practical Approach for Drug Discovery 
Ellen Berg, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Research, BioSeek, Inc. 
The goal of systems biology in drug discovery is to predict drug or target efficacy, safety and pharmacology prior to clinical testing, reducing the cost and time of drug development. Assay systems that model human disease biology more effectively and also meet the throughput needs of drug discovery research can help achieve this goal. Biologically Multiplexed Activity Profiling (BioMAP®) involves the statistical analysis of disease biomarker endpoints generated from primary human cell-based disease models, BioMAP systems, for drug selection and characterization. BioMAP systems have been developed for a broad range of human disease and tissue biology including inflammatory, autoimmune, cardiovascular, respiratory and cancer biology. Applications for 1) target prioritization; 2) screening hit and phenotypic hit prioritization; 3) lead optimization and candidate selection; and 4) drug repositioning will be presented.

3:20 Networking Refreshment Break, Last Chance for Poster and Exhibit Viewing

4:00 Poster Awards in the Exhibit Hall

Plenary Keynote Presentation

My Daughter’s DNA: Networking the Dots for a Diagnosis
Hugh Young Rienhoff, Jr., M.D., Director, MyDaughtersDNA.org
Photo Credit: Cody Pickens

4:45 Closing Panel Discussion:
Collaboration Across Areas of Expertise
Increasingly, advances in the post-genomic era draw upon multiple areas of expertise. Melting silos of jargon, perspectives, and modus operandi is essential in order to achieve significant progress in the quest to conquer disease and fully understand biological forms. Melting egos may also play a part in working together toward a common goal. As collaboration grows ever more ubiquitous in the life sciences, its challenges are encountered more frequently. This panel discussion will focus on how to overcome some of the inherent problems that arise in collaborations, including academic/industry projects and international teams. Basic logistical issues will also be addressed.

  • How to function across barriers of time, space, and language

  • How to set up efficient teams – structure of collaboration

  • Advantages/disadvantages of collaboration

  • Differences between academic and industry perspectives

  • Building respect into multi-cultural teams

  • Communicating in-between multiple areas of expertise

  • Outlook of collaboration in the life sciences

5:30 Close of Conference

Systems Biology Continued | Short Courses | Day 1 | Day 2 | Download Brochure



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