The Yale Center for Molecular and Systems Metabolism (YMSM) joined by the Yale Cancer Center (YCC) hosted the inaugural Cancer Metabolism Symposium on November 1st, 2023. The event introduced the Cancer Metabolism Initiative (CAMI), the goal of which is to promote interdisciplinary research and education for the prevention and treatment of cancer as a metabolic disease.
YMSM, established in 2021 with Dr. Bennett as its director, gathered scientists from various fields to delve into the molecular underpinnings of metabolism in health and disease. Several YMSM members were affiliated with YCC, particularly within the Cancer Signaling Networks (CSN) Research Program.
Metabolic dysregulation was recognized as a central driver of cancer development, with a strong link to the obesity epidemic. YCC's strategic plan underscored the importance of allocating more resources to explore the intersection of obesity, metabolism, cancer, and behavioral interventions.
The Cancer Metabolism Interest Group (CMIG), established in 2012 with the support of YCC, provided a unique opportunity for principle investigators and trainees at Yale to participate and present their research related to cancer metabolism. It has played an instrumental role in promoting interactions and collaborations between laboratories at Yale across disparate areas of scientific endeavors.
Building upon a decade of significant progress in cancer metabolism research, the CAMI Initiative will take a broader approach, extending its focus from studying metabolic pathways in cancer cells to exploring the metabolic interplay between different cell types in the tumor microenvironment and their interactions with the broader metabolic context.
The symposium, held in-person at Park Street Auditorium, featured a keynote lecture by Dr. Vander Heiden, a world-renowned leader in the field. Dr. Vander Heiden's lecture capped off a day filled with discussions on metabolic disease and cancer, tumor-host interactions, and cutting-edge techniques.
This inaugural symposium marks the launch of the CAMI initiative, which will bring together investigators from across the Yale campus to shape the future of cancer metabolism.
Dr. Xiaoyong Yang, Professor of Comparative Medicine and of Cellular & Molecular Physiology, and co-Founder of CAMI.