RNA Processing in Cancer: From Bench to Bedside

Alterations in RNA processing have recently emerged as both biomarkers and drivers of cancer, and represent a promising target for novel cancer therapies. Thus, there is a need for meetings that bring together experts and trainees in RNA biology and cancer to lead the integration of novel findings in these fields that will catalyze novel therapeutic development and prepare the next generation of scientists and physicians to uncover how RNA can be therapeutically targeted. To fill this gap, we are organizing the unique and timely interdisciplinary conference “2025 FASEB RNA processing in cancer: from bench to bedside” meeting, in order to foster future collaborations and research advances. Building upon the success of the inaugural 2023 meeting, the main objectives of this meeting are to share novel research findings that define the role of RNA processing in cancer initiation, progression, and drug responses, and to identify novel therapeutic strategies to target RNA processing defects in cancer. This 5-day long conference to be held in Sacramento, CA in October 2025 will bring together scientists, including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior and senior investigators, as well as clinicians and physicians, and scientists from industry and pharmaceutical companies, from the fields of RNA biology and cancer. The conference program will include invited lectures, short talks from trainees, and educational/professional sessions, featuring leading scientists with distinct expertise yet shared interest in understanding the role of RNA processing in cancer pathogenesis and developing novel cancer therapeutics that encompass a variety of backgrounds, expertise, and experience. Our specific aims are to (1) Organize an interdisciplinary conference on RNA processing and cancer; (2) Promote interactions to foster collaborative research and career advancement; (3) Foster the recruitment and development of junior investigators to the field of RNA biology and cancer; and (4) Accelerate translation of fundamental advances into novel clinical cancer therapeutics. The proposed conference will cross-pollinate the fields of RNA biology and cancer biology, seed new collaborations across disciplines, and facilitate the next generation of scientists to implement novel strategies towards targeting RNA processing in oncology.