Dr. Klementina Fon Tacer Opened The New Season of The ASEF Speaker Series

On Tuesday, October 5, we were able to listen to Dr. Klementina Fon Tacer, who opened the new season of the ASEF Speaker Series with the lecture ‘From physiology to therapy: MAGE proteins promote stress resistance in germ cells and cancer’.Dr. Klementina Fon Tacer is an assistant professor of reproductive biology and oncology at Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine.

She spoke about melanoma antigen (MAGE) proteins which can be found in mammals. She presented her research in the field of MAGE protein and cancer detection. Researchers want to leverage the unique position of MAGE proteins at the intersection of cancer and spermatogenesis to uncover novel mechanisms that evolved to protect mammalian germline against stress, discover how and why they were co-opted in cancer. Ultimately, they want to apply the insights learned for the advancement of cancer treatment and fertility preservation to benefit human and animal patients.The conversation was moderated by ASEF Fellow 2021 Lea Knez.