Dr. Bakhoum will present on the critical role of chromosomal instability in cancer metastasis.

NEW YORK, April 8, 2021 – Volastra Therapeutics today announced that Co-founder Samuel Bakhoum, M.D., Ph.D., and Scientific Advisory Board Member David Pellman, M.D., will both deliver plenary presentations at the April session of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2021.

The plenary session, titled “Mechanisms, Impact, and Exploitation of Cancer Chromosomal Instability,” is dedicated to exploring a key driver of tumor progression. Volastra is building on this groundbreaking work into the biology of chromosomal instability, which will be shared throughout the plenary session, to develop new therapies for metastatic cancer.

“Volastra is at the forefront of identifying novel techniques to measure and modulate chromosomal instability for the future treatment of patients with advanced cancers, and we’re delighted to be sharing the most current insights into this important field with the scientific community,” said Charles Hugh-Jones, M.D., Chief Executive Officer at Volastra.

The session will feature four presentations. Dr. Pellman, HHMI Investigator, Professor of Cell Biology and Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, will lead off the plenary session, focusing on the mechanisms driving the rapid evolution of cancer genomes. Dr. Bakhoum, a radiation oncologist and faculty member at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, will follow, presenting on the role of chromosomal instability in tumor evolution.

“We have known about chromosomal instability for decades, but only now do we fully understand its critical role in tumor progression. Its importance to the future of cancer treatment is underscored by AACR’s decision to devote a leading plenary session to the topic,” said Dr. Bakhoum. “I’m excited to be participating in the plenary with leading researchers from around the world and look forward to the translation of these discoveries into therapies that help patients with advanced and metastatic cancers.”

The plenary session, which will include several discussion periods, will be available as a live stream for registered conference attendees. Presentation details can be found below:

Session PL06: Discovery Science Plenary: Mechanisms, Impact, and Exploitation of Cancer Chromosomal Instability
April 10, 2021
9:30 – 11:30 a.m. ET

About Volastra Therapeutics, Inc.

Volastra Therapeutics is pioneering novel approaches to halt or prevent cancer metastasis, one of the major unsolved challenges in cancer treatment. Co-founders Lewis Cantley, Ph.D., Olivier Elemento, Ph.D. and Samuel Bakhoum, M.D., Ph.D., made seminal discoveries about the role of chromosomal instability in driving cancer spread. Volastra is built on those insights. Based in West Harlem, N.Y., Volastra is committed to improving outcomes for people living with cancer.

For more information, please visit volastratx.com.

 

Disclosure: Dr. Bakhoum serves on board of directors of, has provided consulting and advisory services for, and has equity interests in Volastra Therapeutics. Dr. Bakhoum also has intellectual property rights and interests related to chromosomal instability that MSK has licensed to Volastra Therapeutics. Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) has intellectual property rights and associated financial interests related to Volastra Therapeutics by virtue of licensing agreements between MSK and Volastra Therapeutics.