In May 2013 the firstBirmingham Cancer Epigenetics Conferencetook place at the University of Birmingham, UK. With research into translational epigenetics, and particularly cancer epigenetics, growing rapidly it was a perfect time for the meeting organizers, includingCiaran Woodman,Bryan Turner,Constanze Bonifer, and the meeting sponsors,Cancer Research UKandLeukaemia & Lymphoma Research, to hold this inaugural conference.

The proceedings from this meeting were published last week as asupplementinClinical Epigenetics,including abstracts from talks byAdrian Bird(University of Edinburgh) on DNA methylation in a rare form of autism,Jason Carroll(剑桥大学)在E FoxA1抑制R+ breast cancer, andCharles Craddock(University of Birmingham) on clinical trials for epigenetic drugs.

As our knowledge of the epigenetic basis of diseases increases so does our chances of discovering potential therapeutic targets. This was the focus of many of the presentations at the meeting with speakers discussing the identification of transcription factors, proteins, receptors and pathways that could be targets for epigenetic drugs, or where drugs are already going into Phase-I trials. The day had a strong emphasis on leukemia, with over half of the talks discussing hematological malignancies. The day opened with talks covering basic biology, mostly on CpG island methylation, which is typically enhanced in cancer, followed by sessions discussing translational research through to clinical trials, including those on DNA methyltransferase inhibitors as a post-transplant combination therapy.

You can read the fullsupplementon theClinical Epigeneticswebsite, where you can also sign up for articlealertsfrom the journal. For more information onClinical Epigenetics, or tosubmit a manuscript, please visit the journalwebsiteor contact theEditorial Office.

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Originally published in the BioMed Central Clinical Epigenetics Blog//www.glorygreetings.com/clep/2013/08/19/proceedings-from-the-birmingham-cancer-epigenetics-conference/