Tumor Microenvironment: Identifying Drivers of Progression and Resistance

Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Tumor Microenvironment: Identifying Drivers of Progression and Resistance, organized by Drs. Lisa M. Coussens, Sandra S. McAllister and Laura L. Kiessling, with scientific programming input from Keystone Symposia. The meeting will take place May 17–20, 2026 at the Whistler Conference Centre in Whistler, BC, Canada. Cancers are heterogeneous multicellular systems whose states and growth are dependent upon reciprocal interactions between genetically altered ‘initiated’ cells and the dynamic microenvironments in which they exist, often referred to as the “tumor microenvironment” (TME). This Keystone Symposia conference titled Tumor Microenvironment: Identifying Drivers of Progression and Resistance will explore emerging insights into tumor cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic communication programs that regulate neoplastic progression and systemic aspects of host response to cancer (aging, cachexia, obesity and inflammation) that impact disease progression and responses to therapy. The program will feature presentations discussing innovative experimental and computational tools designed to probe the TME and their application to identify tumor vulnerabilities that may reveal new therapeutic targets or aid in patient stratification. The conference will also include a practical workshop (“data jamboree”) that will focus on application of analytical tools developed by the NCI Human Tumor Atlas Data (HTAN) to study the TME. The program has been designed to bring together scientists from across areas that often do not interact, ranging from cancer biologists and immunologists to computational and chemical biology researchers. A central priority of this conference is to build integrated views of TMEs, their physiological connections with metabolism and other organ systems and to apply this systems-wide view toward identifying new antitumor targets and modalities that will enhance cancer treatment and patient outcomes. Additionally, the connections between inflammation and cancer are an important focus of the program, and as a result, this conference will be held jointly with the Keystone Symposia conference on Inflammation Resolution: Emerging Concepts, Mechanisms and Disease Insights. This pairing will enhance connections between immunologists and cancer researchers. Through shared keynote and joint scientific sessions, meals and poster sessions, participants will have an opportunity to network and share cross-disciplinary insights, encouraging innovative collaborations towards illuminating new biology and therapeutic avenues in these intersecting fields. Project Number: 1R13CA314273-01 | Fiscal Year: 2026 | NIH Institute/Center: National Cancer Institute (NCI) | Principal Investigator: TERRY SHEPPARD | Institution: KEYSTONE SYMPOSIA, SILVERTHORNE, CO | Award Amount: $5,000 | Activity Code: R13 | Study Section: Special Emphasis Panel[ZRG1 SCIL-T (80)] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11392747