2004 Gordon Research Conference on Chemotactic Cytokines

描述（由申请人提供）：趋化因子是其中最大的亚家族，在多种炎症性疾病中发挥重要作用。例如，通过使用转基因小鼠或中和抗体，研究人员已经证明了趋化因子系统在动脉粥样硬化、多发性硬化症（使用EAE模型）、关节炎、炎症性肠病和其他几种疾病中的重要作用。最近，趋化因子及其受体已被证明直接参与炎症可能不发挥固有致病作用的疾病，如许多癌症。这种信息的爆炸导致了对趋化因子受体拮抗剂的积极研究。然而，进展缓慢，并且已经发现了与药物发现和趋化因子系统本身相关的各种基本科学问题。与此同时，细胞运动和运动相关信号转导途径的基础科学也取得了令人兴奋的进展。因此，一个庞大的研究群体已经形成，他们的成员对趋化细胞因子感兴趣，他们的背景非常不同。这些科学家将从直接交流思想的机会中受益匪浅，而戈登趋化细胞因子研究会议就是为了满足这一需求而设计的。这次会议将于2004年9月在法国奥索瓦举行。该活动将限制160人参加，并将具有国际特色，尽管大多数参与者将来自美国。会议发言人和主题的选择反映了该领域最新的前沿进展。会议还旨在让学生、博士后研究员和其他受训人员接触顶尖科学家。请提供支持，以帮助支付在欧洲会场的旅行和注册费用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Chemotactic cytokines, the largest subfamily of which are chemokines, play important roles in a variety of inflammatory diseases. For example, through the use of genetically modified mice or neutralizing antibodies, investigators have demonstrated the essential contribution of the chemokine system to atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis (using EAE models), arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and several other disorders. More recently, chemokines and their receptors have been shown to participate directly in diseases in which inflammation may not play an inherently pathogenic role such as many cancers. This explosion of information has led to an active search for chemokine receptor antagonists. However, progress has been slow, and a variety of fundamental scientific issues have been uncovered that relate both to drug discovery and to the chemokine system itself. Meanwhile, exciting advances have occurred in the basic science of cell motility and movement-related signal transduction pathways. Thus a large community of investigators has evolved whose members are interested in chemotactic cytokines and who approach this interest from very diverse backgrounds. These scientists would benefit immensely from an opportunity to exchange ideas directly, and the Gordon Research Conference on Chemotactic Cytokines is designed to meet that need. This conference will meet in Aussois, France, in September 2004. It will be limited to 160 participants and will be international in flavor, although most attendees will be from the US. Conference speakers and topics have been chosen to reflect the newest cutting edge advances in the field. The conference is also intended to expose students, postdoctoral fellows, and other trainees to leading scientists. Support is requested to help cover the travel and registration costs at the European venue.