2nd International Pathogenesis of Rare Neuroimmunologic Disorders

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Neuroimmunologic disorders are a loosely defined group of disorders in which there is an immunemediated injury of the nervous system that include the following: polymyositis, myasthenia gravis (MG), inflammatory polyneuropathies, transverse myelitis, HTLV-1 associated myelopathy, stiff person syndrome (SPS), neuromyelitis optica (NMO), optic neuritis (ON), multiple sclerosis (MS), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), Hashimoto?s encephalitis, Rasmussen?s encephalitis, paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis (PE), and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infection (PANDAS). Also included in this list are neurologic manifestations of sarcoidosis, Sjogren?s syndrome, infections (i.e. JC virus, meningitis and HIV) and responses of manipulating the immune system (immune reconstitution syndrome). Though each disorder is unique, there are shared immunopathogenic mechanisms among many of them that justify their study as entities on a single spectrum. To further explore this and to continue the collaborations forged at a similar symposium in 2004, we have organized the 2 2nd nd international ?Pathogenesis of Rare Neuroimmunologic Disorders? workshop to be held at the Sheraton in Baltimore MD from July 20th-22nd, 2006. The workshop will not be disease oriented, but rather, mechanism oriented, and will involve discussions of many neuroimmunologic disorders as they pertain to mechanisms of autoimmunity in the nervous system. This workshop will focus on rare neuroimmunologic disorders, rather than on the most common disease in this group, MS. However, participants will be invited to discuss advances in MS specifically as these advances inform and educate research in other neuroimmunologic disorders. Participants will explore the following common themes: Genetics and triggering mechanisms; humoral contributions to autoimmunity; cellular contributions to autoimmunity, migration of immune cells; innate immune contributions; neuroprotection; neural-immune cross talk; remyelination; novel imaging and emerging immunotherapies. Participants 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 symposium is that by discussing unique and shared pathologic processes of a group of rare disorders, participants will stimulate novel, collaborative investigations necessary to advance understanding of these disorders. The workshop will be small and interactive, distinguishing it from other larger symposia which typically emphasize the more common neuroimmunologic disorders (especially multiple sclerosis) and are largely didactic. The workshop 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.