Stem Cells and Cancer: A Deadly Alliance

WITTGENSTEIN LECTURE

Dr. Juergen Knoblich
Austrian Academy of Sciences,
Institute of Molecular Biotechnology

Winner of the 2009 Wittgenstein Prize, Dr. Knoblich was honored for his work on asymmetric cell division.

A revolution is currently underway in the field of cancer research. Scientists have discovered unexpected roles for stem cells in cancer development that challenge current therapeutic approaches and open new avenues for cancer treatment. Dr. Knoblich has used the fruitfly Drosophila to identify the cellular defects that turn normal stem cells into cancer-initiating cells. He will explain the cancer stem cell hypothesis and its impact on treatment. He will also tell us how research in fruitflies has solved some of the greatest puzzles in biology, leading to a better understanding of cancer.

Co-hosted by the Carnegie Institution for Science with the Office of Science & Technology at the Embassy of Austria and the Austrian Science Fund FWF.