Welcome to the 7^th AEK Autumn School 2026

Dear colleagues and cancer scientists,

It is our great pleasure to announce the 7th AEK Autumn School to be held in Potsdam from November 4th to 6th, 2026.

The Autumn School is organized by the Experimental Cancer Research Section of the German Cancer Society ("Abteilung Experimentelle Krebsforschung", AEK), which represents the majority of experimental cancer researchers in Germany. The main goal of the AEK is to stimulate scientific exchange and to support young cancer researchers.

The 7th AEK Autumn School addresses recent exciting developments in treating cancers driven by proteins of the RAS family of small GTPases. The topic of the autumn school is unique in that it integrates basic, translational and clinical cancer research.

Targeting RAS: Biology, Treatment Resistance and Opportunities for Combinatorial Therapy

The development of the first KRASG12C- inhibitors by Kevan Shokat in 2013 marked a milestone in rendering RAS proteins druggable. Since then, the field has advanced rapidly, driven largely by intensive efforts within biotech companies and the pharmaceutical industry, toward therapeutic implementation and the design of mutation-specific as well as broad-spectrum pan‑RAS inhibitors. Nevertheless, emerging clinical experience indicates that resistance to these agents frequently arises, with the underlying mechanisms being only partially understood. This has created a dynamic area of research focused on elucidating genetic and non-genetic mechanisms as well as immune evasion processes that contribute to resistance. Ultimately, these insights aim to inform the development of rational combination therapies, applicable both in preclinical models and in early‑phase clinical trials.

The autumn school’s format with nationally and internationally renowned speakers and a limited number of participants will allow for in-depth and comprehensive discussions in an inspiring environment. Potsdam lies about 25 km southwest of Berlin’s city center and is not only known for its role as a historic Prussian residence city and modern science hub, but also for its dense ensemble of palaces, parks, and lakes. The conference site, Inselhotel Potsdam, is located directly beside the lake Templin on the Hermannswerder Island, in short distance from the main railway station.

We are grateful to the German Cancer Society (Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft) and German Cancer Aid (Deutsche Krebshilfe) for their support, enabling us to organize this Autumn School and allowing us to provide travel bursaries for the three participants.

Please note that the number of participants is limited to 25. All abstract submitters are cordially invited to present a poster as well as a short or flash talk.

We hope you will enjoy the 7th AEK Autumn School's exciting scientific program in an inspiring environment. We are confident that you will return from the conference with many new insights and ideas, as well as with new friends and scientific contacts that will enrich your further scientific work.

Kind regards,
the organizers