Pathogenesis of Rare Neuroimmunologic Disorders

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Neuroimmunologic disorders are a loosely defined group of disorders in which there is an immune-mediated injury of the nervous system. There are a variety of rare neuroimmunologic disorders: polymyositis, myasthenia gravis, CIDP, transverse myelitis, TSP/HAM, stiff person syndrome, neuromyelitis optica, optic neuritis, ADEM, PANDAS, Hashimoto's encephalitis, Rasmussen's encephalitis, and paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis (PE). Though each disorder is unique, recent findings have suggested that there are shared immunopathogenic mechanisms among many of them. To further explore this, we have organized an international meeting, "Pathogenesis of Rare Neuroimmunologic Disorders Workshop" to be held at the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore. MD on August 19th-20th, 2004. Participants at this workshop will explore four common themes: Triggering mechanisms in breakdown of immune tolerance; humoral immune effector mechanisms; cellular immune effector mechanisms; and pathways of neural injury. We will learn where the disorders are similar and therefore benefit from similar therapeutic approaches; and where they are distinct, elucidating the need for unique treatment strategies. The central premise of the workshop is that by discussing unique and shared pathologic processes of a group of rare disorders, we will stimulate novel, collaborative investigations necessary to advance understanding of these disorders. The workshop will be a small interactive one, distinguishing it from other larger symposia which typically emphasize the more common neuroimmunologic disorders (especially multiple sclerosis) and are largely didactic. We will solicit participation from both senior and junior scientists/students in order to stimulate long-term research in these disorders. The proceedings will be disseminated in the medical literature. We believe this workshop will serve a critical role in advancing our understanding of disorders that are pathophysiologically linked yet, because of their rarity, are poorly understood.