It has been well established that the tumor microenvironment (TME)—the network blood vessels, immune cells, fibroblasts, signaling molecules, metabolites, and extracellular matrix surrounding a tumor—is a major contributor to tumorigenesis, progression, metastasis and response to therapy. A constant bi-directional crosstalk between tumor cells and their ecosystem shapes cancer fate. On one hand, tumors influence the microenvironment by releasing extracellular signals, promoting tumor angiogenesis, and inducing peripheral immune tolerance. At the same time, the physical, cellular, and metabolic composition of this complex milieu can dictate the growth and evolution of cancerous cells.

The use of revolutionary technologies, including single-cell and spatial transcriptomics or high-resolution 3D microscopy, is allowing scientists, for the first time, to examine cell states and cell-to-cell interactions in real-time and at an unprecedented level of detail. Importantly, this burgeoning understanding of the TME is revealing novel cancer dependencies that can be successfully leveraged for therapeutic purposes. The success of immunotherapy epitomizes the tremendous potential of this approach, while its limitations underscore the need to continue dissecting the rules governing the tumor-microenvironment interaction.

The New York City TME Symposium is an annual event organized by all major NYC academic institutions on a rotating schedule. This year, NYU Langone Health has gathered an exceptional panel of experts who work on multiple aspects of the tumor-microenvironment interphase. They will discuss the latest advances in our understanding of the impacts of injury, pregnancy, inflammation, metabolism, or immune evasion to cancer susceptibility, initiation, metastatic colonization, and response to therapy. We hope this multidisciplinary encounter will present opportunities for cross-fertilization and pave the way for novel clinical developments.

All members of the New York and tri-state cancer biology community are welcome to attend and contribute to lively discussions. Junior investigators and trainees are encouraged to submit abstracts for consideration as oral or poster presentations. Registration is free, but RSVP is required due to limited seating. We look forward to meeting you at the NYU Langone Medical Center on September 25, at NYU Langone.

Eva Hernando and Vivek Mittal

Organizers