Important DeadlinesOral Presentations : September 20 Early bird rate : September 20 Posters : October 04 Registration : October 31 To submit an abstract, please complete your registration first |
Join the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Cancéropôle GSO – A Key Event for Cancer Research and Clinical Innovation in the Greater South-West.
The Annual Meeting of the Canceropole GSO is a major gathering for researchers and clinicians across the Greater South-West (GSO) region. This event is a unique opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and discuss the strategic directions of cancer research in the two regions.
Dates: November 18-20, 2026
Location: H2 Congress Center, Nîmes
This 22nd edition will feature:
- Plenary and parallel sessions showcasing cutting-edge research from internationally renowned keynote speakers, as well as leading scientists and clinicians from the GSO.
- Oral presentations and poster sessions highlighting the latest research findings and technological platform assets.
- A Young Scientist Poster competition, open exclusively to PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and medical residents.
- A Young Scientist Oral Competition : given the success of the inaugural 2025 session, held within the ‘Rising Stars’ session, we are pleased to relaunch this initiative in 2026.
For the first time, a play dedicated to male cancers will be presented.
Keynote Speakers
Social Event – Thursday Nov. 19th evening
As every year, the Gala Dinner will take place on Thursday evening, offering fine dining and dancing in a relaxed atmosphere.
Join us from 8:00 pm on the rooftop of the Congress Centre.
Program
12h30 – 14h00 Welcome Buffet
14h00 – 14:20 Opening Ceremony
Vincent BOUGET, Mayor of the City of Nîmes, Jean Olivier ARNAUD, Cancéropôle Grand Sud-Ouest President, Nadine HOUEDE, Cancéropôle Grand Sud-Ouest Scientific Director and Frédéric RIMATTEI, General Director CHU NIMES
14:20 – 16:00 Plenary session
- Translational Research in colorectal Cancer
Chairs: Niki CHRISTOU & Julie PANNEQUIN- KEYNOTE SPEAKER Eduard BATTLE, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona (Spain) – Plasticity and therapy resistance in metastatic colorectal cancer
- KEYNOTE SPEAKER François GHIRINGHELLI, Centre G.-F. Leclerc, Dijon – Immunotherapy for microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer: from resistance mechanisms to biomarker-guided combinations
- • Imène GASMI, Institute of Functional Genomics (IGF), Montpellier– Tuft cells remodel the mucosal immune microenvironment to promote intestinal tumourigenesis
• Maëlle CAROFF, Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Toulouse – Targeting Microsatellite-Instable cancers through ligand stabilization of DNA Three-Way Junctions
- KEYNOTE SPEAKER Eduard BATTLE, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona (Spain) – Plasticity and therapy resistance in metastatic colorectal cancer
16:00 – 16:15 Cancer Research in Toulouse at a glance
Véronique GIGOUX, Pierre CORDELIER & Olivier CALVAYRAC, Cancer Research Center of Toulouse
16:15: – 17:00 Coffee Break
17:00 – 18:30 Two parallel sessions
- Therapies & Vaccines / Axis 3 session
Chair: Sandrine DABERNAT- KEYNOTE SPEAKER Cindy NEUZILLET, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Villejuif – Advances in Immune-Based Therapies and Vaccine Strategies for Pancreatic Cancer
- Jean-Marie CARPIER, ENTEROME, Paris – From gut-bacteria mimicry to anti-tumor immunity: a new class of in vivo immune therapies
- Maha AYYOUB, Cancer Research Center of Toulouse (CRCT) – Lessons from Immune Checkpoint Blockade: Neoantigens and Shared Tumor Antigens for Therapeutic Cancer Vaccine Development
- Juliette MAIRESSE, Montpellier Cancer Research Institute (IRCM) – Proof of concept of a new technology of RNA vaccine based on poly (β-amino ester) nanoparticules in lung cancer
- Genome Dynamics & Expression / Axis 2 session
Chair: Thomas CLOUAIRE- KEYNOTE SPEAKER Maria ABAD, Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona (Spain) and Altos Labs, Cambridge Institute of Science, Cambridge (UK) – When the non-coding codes: Mining the microproteome for novel regulators of cell plasticity
- Brice LAFFLEUR, Control of the B Cell Immune Response and Lymphoproliferations (CRIBL) Limoges – DIS3 Ribonuclease Safeguards – Genome Stability in Multiple Myeloma
- Augustine BLANC-BEOKHOLT, Toulouse Cancer Research Center (CRCT) – Single-cell timecourse analysis of an in-vitro model of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
- Maximilien NDJAMI-MAKANDA, Centre de Biologie Intégrative de Toulouse (CBI) – How do cohesin and transcription cooperate to organize the genome?
- Kuldeep LAHRY, Montpellier Cancer Research Institute (IRCM)– Hijacking the tRNA Epitranscriptome to Restrain Cancer Growth
18:30 Drinks & Poster session
08:00 – 08:30 Welcome Coffee
08:30 – 10:20 Hot topics in oncology
Chairs: Pierre CORDELIER & Eric JULIEN
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- KEYNOTE SPEAKER Fanny MANN, Institute of Developmental Biology of Marseille (IBDM) – Nerve-tumor crosstalk in pancreatic cancer
- KEYNOTE SPEAKER Luca MAGNANI, The Institute of Cancer Research, London (UK) – Dormancy’s Dice: The Long Game of ER+ Breast Cancer
- Giacomo CAVALLI, Institute of Human Genetics (IGH), Montpellier – Epigenetic drivers of cellular fate changes
- Gautier FOLLAIN, BoRdeaux Institute of Oncology (BRIC) – Extravasation of circulating tumor cells
10:20 – 11:30 Coffee break & Poster Session
11:30 – 13:00 Artificial Intelligence in Oncology: Challenges, Methods & Perspectives
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- KEYNOTE SPEAKER & Guest Moderator: Hugues BERRY, National Institute For Research In Digital Science And Technology, Lyon – L’IA pour la recherche biomédicale : quelques enjeux et challenges devant nous
- Marion TARDIEU, Institute of Cancer Research of Montpellier – Artificial intelligence in medical imaging
- Kevin MOUZAT, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nîmes – Title to come
13:00 – 13:15 Presentation of Société Française du Cancer (SFC)
13:15 – 14:30 Lunch break
14:30 – 16:00: Three parallel sessions
- Signaling, microenvironment and targeting / Axis 1 session
Chairs: Violaine MOREAU- KEYNOTE SPEAKER Vincent GUEN, Nantes – Angers Cancer and Immunology Research Center, Inserm (CRCI²NA) – Understanding and targeting tumor plasticity in breast cancer
- Laure DAVID, Institut de Recherche en Santé Digestive (IRSD), Toulouse – Les vésicules de membrane externe bactérienne comme nouvel agent immunothérapeutique dans les cancers de la vessie
- Thibault HOULES, Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM) – SUMOylation controls Acute Myeloid Leukemia response to therapies
- Claire CRAMPES, Montpellier Cancer Research Institute (IRCM) –Targeting Stromal BIGH3 Restores Anti-Tumor Immunity and Suppresses Cachexia
- Camille ATTANE, Institute of Pharmacology and Structural Biology (IPBS) Toulouse – Bone marrow adipocytes as new metabolic actors in cancer progression
- New Models for therapy / Axis 5 session
Chair: Bertrand LIAGRE- KEYNOTE SPEAKER Rita FIOR, Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon (Portugal) – Zebrafish Avatars: a Precision Oncology Platform for Personalized Medicine & Discovery of Innate Immune Evasion Mechanisms
- Majid KHATIB, BoRdeaux Institute of Oncology (BRIC) – Zebrafish Models Reveal Protein Maturation as a Therapeutic Target in Cancer and Angiogenesis
- Audrey FERRAND, Metabolic and Cardiovascular Research Institut (I2MC), Toulouse – Title to come
- IA dans les soins / session Axe 4 (in french)
Modération: Sophie GOURGOU- LECTURE Marie CANTALOUBE, Institut du Cancer de Montpellier – Miroki, robot en radiothérapie à l’ICM : Utilisation clinique comme soutien psychologique chez les enfants
- LECTURE Sabrina SUFFREN, Université de Montpellier Paul-Valéry – Miroki, le robot compagnon: approche psychologique
- LECTURE Renaud SCHIAPPA, Centre Antoine Lacassagne, Nice – Utilisation de l’IA dans la recherche clinique en oncologie
16:00 – 16:45 Coffee Break
16:45 – 17:45 Prestige conference
Chair: Nadine HOUEDE
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- KEYNOTE SPEAKER : Ian TANNOCK, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto (Canada) – Clinical and scientific literature : Should we believe what we read ?
17:45 – 19:15 : Lecture de la pièce de théâtre « RADICALE » (in French)
Texte et mise en scène : David FRISZMAN
Suivie d’un débat coanimé par les Professeurs Nadine HOUEDE, Directrice scientifique du Cancéropôle GSO, Dominique CHORT (Patient partenaire), Muriel BRENGUES (chercheur, IRCM) et Morgan MICHALET (Oncologue radiothérapeute, ICM/CHU Nîmes)
20:00 : Gala event
08:30 – 9h00 Welcome Coffee
09:00 – 10:20: “RISING STARS” (Young Scientist Oral Presentation Competition)
Chairs: Caroline Bonnans, Guillaume Bossis & Agnese Cristini
- Rayan DAKROUB, Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), Montpellier – The Roles of Ki-67 in Cancer and the Anti-tumour Immune Responses
- Cédric FABRE, Institute of Pharmacology and Structural Biology (IPBS) Toulouse – Overcoming T cell exclusion in PDAC: Periostin as a therapeutic target?
- Laura JENTSCHEL, Institute of Functional Genomics (IGF), Montpellier – Chemotherapy-Induced Translational Rewiring Enables Drug-Tolerant Persister Exit and Tumor Relapse
- Sahar MAHMOUD, Institute of Human Genetics (IGH), Montpellier – From AI-Predicted TOPBP1 Mutations to Biological Significance: Implications for the DNA Damage Response (DDR)
- Soha ALLIOUI, Institute of Molecular Genetics of Montpellier (IGMM), Montpellier – A first-in-class self-activating cGas*-mRNA-LNP immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma
- Margaux AYEUL, Montpellier Cancer Research Institute (IRCM) – Understanding and Targeting ATF3-Mediated Resistance Mechanisms to Improve Therapeutic Outcomes in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma
- Jérémy BIGOT, Toulouse Cancer Research Center (CRCT) – Exploiting therapy-induced plasticity: the glucocorticoid–SPIB–CD20 axis creates a targetable vulnerability in residual B-ALL cells
- Marianne RICHAUD, Montpellier Cancer Research Institute (IRCM) – Exploring Chromatin Organization Through Circulating DNA: Nucleosome Occupancy and Y Chromosome Fragmentation Across Health and Cancer
10:20 – 10:30 Presentation of the Nîmes University Hospital Foundation Fund
10:30 – 10:50 Award ceremony
10:50 – 11:20 Coffee break
11:20 – 13:00: Two paralel sessions
Plenary Session & Session Axe 4
- Translational Research in Pediatric Oncology / CIRCLE consortium
Chair: Marlène Pasquet- KEYNOTE SPEAKER Riccardo MASETTI, University of Bologna (Italy)
- Marlène PASQUET, CHU, Toulouse – CIRCLE overview for pediatric oncology
- Anne LAPRIE, Oncopole Claudius Regaud, Toulouse & Thomas DAUBON, BoRdeaux Institute of Oncology (BRIC) – Title to come
- Alexandre THERON, CHU, Montpellier & Eric DELABESSE, Cancer Research Center of Toulouse (CRCT) – Title to come
- Farid BOULAD, président de la Commission scientifique d’Enfants Cancers – Title to come
- Littératie en santé – Compréhension de l’information médicale / session Axe 4
Chair: Véronique BERNAD- Angéline GALVIN, Institut de Santé Publique, d’Épidémiologie et de Développement, Bordeaux – Littératie en santé chez les patients âgés atteints de cancer : comprendre, mesurer et agir
- Françoise ABRIAL, DigiScribMed, Lyon – Comprendre ne suffit pas : concevoir des outils numériques patients réellement actionnables
- Jérémy JOST, Université de Limoges – La littératie en santé à l’épreuve de la diversité culturelle : quels enjeux pour l’équité en cancérologie ?
13:00 Closing Lunch
Abstract submission
Abstract submission is open to registered participants only as the presenting author of an abstract must be registered for the congress.
Abstract submission could be related to all cancer topics (axes, themes and working groups of the Canceropole GSO): present your recent work, platforms and open collaborations with industrials.
Titles and abstracts must be written in English (except for Axis 4 communications). The maximum length allowed for an abstract is 4000 characters including blank spaces. The abstract title, the author(s) or names of institutions are not included in the count of 4000 characters.
Abstract submissions must be made via your personal account, accessible through the link provided in your registration confirmation email.
If you would like to submit the same abstract for two different sessions, please contact us >>
Accepted abstracts will be published in the online seminar booklet. By submitting an abstract, the presenting author confirms that all co-authors have approved the content and consent to its publication in the seminar booklet.
Six prizes of €500 will be awarded for the best poster presentations.
This competition is open exclusively to PhD students, post-doctoral researchers, and residents affiliated with GSO academic research / clinical teams.
Poster sessions: Presenters must stay by their posters during their assigned poster session to be eligible. Please be prepared to give a brief 2-minute take-home message.
The Jean Paufique Foundation (Laboratoire Silab) will present a special award to a young researcher for outstanding work in fundamental and applied research related to the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of dermatological diseases, with a particular focus on skin cancers.
The Fédération Hospitalo-Universitaire EVOCAN-2 will present two special awards to young researchers for outstanding work in immunotherapies conducted in a research laboratory in Montpellier or Nimes.
Please note: Winners must be present at the award ceremony on Friday morning to receive their prize. Absentees won’t be considered.
The « Young Scientist » poster competition is carried out with the support of : 
Guidelines
If selected, you will receive detailed instructions by email.
Each poster will have a unique number indicating its location in the Poster Area.
Specifications:
-Max size: 80 × 120 cm (portrait, A0)
-Presenters must print their own posters
Please mount your poster upon arrival. Materials will be provided only for regular (non-glossy, non-laminated) paper. For alternative formats (e.g., fabric), bring your own mounting supplies.
One prize of €500 will be awarded for the best oral presentation.
This competition is open exclusively to PhD students, post-doctoral researchers, and residents affiliated with GSO academic research / clinical teams.
If selected for the Oral Presentation Competition, candidates will not be eligible to the Poster Presentation Competition.
To enter the competition, eligible candidates must submit an abstract in the « Rising Star / Young Scientist Oral Presentation Competition » Session and select the best axis for the presentation. Selected communications will be notified during fall and given more detailed instructions for the competition.
Please note: Winners must be present at the award ceremony to receive their prize. Absentees will be disqualified.
The « Young Scientist » oral presentation competition is carried out with the support of :
Registration (before October 31st)
Congress fees include all sessions attendance and access to the online abstracts
| Attendance fees | ||||
| Young academics (PhD student, post-doc, resident) |
Academics (permanent staff) |
Start-ups* | Industry | |
| Before Sept. 20 | 30 € | 50 € | 100 € | 200 € |
| After Sept. 20 | 50 € | 100 € | 200 € | 400 € |
* Start-ups from the GSO: start-ups from Occitanie and Nouvelle Aquitaine regions, created after 2021 and with no more than 10 employees. If these criteria don’t apply, industrial fees apply.
• Attendance to the gala event on Thursday Nov 19th is not included in the congress fees. Gala event supplementary cost :
- Young researchers: 25 €
- Academics: 40 €
- Start-ups: 60 €*
- Industry: 100 €
Payment
Your registration will be confirmed once the congress fees have been paid. A confirmation email will be sent to you personally.
If you wish to pay by order form (bank transfer), you must include the name and registration number of each participant covered by the payment. The order form must be issued to Cancéropôle GSO and sent by email.
If you prefer to pay by bank transfer, please contact us.
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The next Canceropole GSO Annual Meeting will take place in Nîmes, at the new H2 Congress Center, from November 18 to 20, 2026.
Getting to Nîmes
Nîmes is ideally located in the south of France, between Montpellier and Avignon. Close to the A9 motorway, it offers excellent road connections, while its two TGV stations provide fast links to major cities, making it an easy destination to reach by both train and car.
The city of Nîmes is served by two train stations. We recommend choosing Nîmes-Centre station, located in the city centre, just a 10-minute walk from the congress centre. Please note that Nîmes-Pont du Gard station is located 14 km from Nîmes
For your travel, we encourage the use of sustainable and eco-friendly transportation options.
H2 Nîmes Congress Centre
6 rue de la République
30000 Nîmes
For more information visit the congress centre website.
Invited Speakers will be hosted at the Appart’hôtel Odalys City Nîmes Arènes Palais des Congrès.
All other participants will arrange their own accomodation. You can visit the list of other accomodations in Nîmes.
Sponsors and partners
