Pathobiology 2027

This session will examine the gene-regulatory mechanisms that govern cell plasticity, intra-tumoral heterogeneity, and therapeutic resistance. Presentations will address how chromatin programs enable epithelial adaptation to environmental and oncogenic stress, how preexisting and adaptive cellular states influence treatment response, and how epigenetic regulation of transposable elements can modulate tumor immunogenicity and anti-tumor immune responses. Collectively, the session will highlight emerging concepts in phenotype transitions, non-genetic heterogeneity, and tumor–immune regulation as central determinants of cancer progression and therapy resistance.