Report on the 13th international workshop on the CCN family of genes and inaugural ARBIOCOM conference, Nice, France

Abstract

The 13th International Workshop on the CCN Family of Genes, held in Nice as part of the inaugural ARBIOCOM World Conference, brought together investigators with diverse research backgrounds, disciplines, and expertise. Building on the long‐standing mission of the International CCN Society and the expanding ARBIOCOM initiative, the meeting highlighted the growing importance of interdisciplinary exchange in accelerating discovery in normal and pathological signaling networks. Scientific sessions featured presentations by renowned speakers and early‐career investigators alike, creating a highly collaborative environment that fostered discussion of emerging concepts and translational opportunities. Among the major themes, this joint conference‐meeting highlighted “hot” research topics such as the nuclear and extracellular roles of CCN proteins in regulating gene expression, tissue development and remodeling, stem cell differentiation and therapies, and disease initiation and progression. Presentations on skeletal biology emphasized how extracellular matrix proteins and matricellular factors shape bone, cartilage, and connective tissue development and pathology, whereas vascular sessions revealed new mechanistic links between extracellular cues, endothelial remodeling, macrophage‐driven vessel regression and vascular smooth muscle homeostasis. Other talks extended the relevance of new signaling molecules in intestinal regeneration, hepatic inflammation, metabolic control, and cancer progression, illustrating the broad biological reach of these pathways. The meeting also emphasized the value of integrating new model systems, advanced single‐cell approaches, and functional in vivo studies to uncover mechanisms that were previously unknown. Collectively, the scientific sessions and discussions identified and filled key knowledge gaps and generated new hypotheses with strong potential for future discoveries. By connecting established expertise with complementary scientific perspectives, this meeting provided a fertile platform for cross‐pollination of ideas and highlighted several avenues for future research aimed at developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies and tools.