Mini-Symposium Tumor Microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment (TME) refers to the complex ecosystem surrounding cancer cells, composed of immune cells, fibroblasts, nerve cells, blood vessels, signaling molecules, and the extracellular matrix. Interactions within this environment play a critical role in tumor growth, progression, and response to therapy. For instance, cancer-associated fibroblasts and immune cells can either suppress or promote tumor development depending on their activation state.

Understanding the TME is essential for developing more effective cancer treatments. By targeting not only the tumor cells but also their supportive environment, researchers aim to disrupt tumor-promoting signals and enhance anti-tumor immunity, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

Since 1975, the Wilhelm Sander-Stiftung has supported medical research, in particular in the field of cancer research. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the foundation, it has taken up the joint initiative with the SKINTEGRITY.CH consortium, to organize an event that puts some of the cutting-edge research on the tumor microenvironment in the spotlight.

It is thus with immense pleasure that we announce a mini-symposium of one afternoon, on Friday, February 6, 2026, in which some of the leading researchers in this field will share their latest findings. The detailed program for the afternoon is given below. The event will take place in the "H33 Auditorium" on the Hönggerberg Campus of the ETH Zurich (HPM Building, H Floor), at the Otto‑Stern‑Weg 3.

The event is public, but to avoid food waste, we kindly ask for a registration to attend.

Register here

 

 

Program


Friday, February 6, 2026

MINI-SYMPOSIUM
Tumor Microenvironment
13:30 Wilhelm Sander-Stiftung & SKINTEGRITY.CH
Welcome address and opening presentation
13:50 Jacky Goetz • INSERM
Mechanical cues coordinate to shape metastasis
14:25 Sofia Micheli • University of Zurich
Peripheral glia drive the initiation of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
14:40 Giulia Biffi • Cancer Research UK—Cambridge Institute
Roles of malignant cell-fibroblast crosstalk in pancreatic cancer metastasis
15:15 Magdalena Snurkowska • ETH Zurich
The liver niche accelerates, while the lung niche restrains secondary spread of breast cancer

15:30    —    16:15 • Coffee break

16:15 Ruth Scherz-Shouval • Weizmann Institute
Tumor-stroma co-evolution
16:50 Huan Liu • ETH Zurich
Septin 8-regulated mitophagy induces a pro-tumorigenic fibroblast phenotype in squamous cancer
17:05 Andrea Roggo • University Hospital Zurich
Pruritus in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
17:20 Richard White • University of Oxford
Cellular communication across the skin
17:55 Closing words

Register here