2007 CARTILAGE BIOLOGY & PATHOLOGY GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE

全世界越来越多的兴趣和魅力，其中软骨研究正在接受今天不得不做 具有软骨的两个方面：一方面，软骨是一种生物力学性能突出的永久性组织， 在成人生物体中的特性，提供关节弹性和高机械稳定性，并确保 迁移率另一方面，软骨作为一种暂时性组织在进化中进化，形成了一种模型， 骷髅骨关节炎（OA）和其他退行性关节疾病并不是随着年龄增长而不可避免的命运。 几十年的研究已经显示了大量的证据，遗传易感性和环境或 患骨关节炎的职业风险。尽管如此，在认识上仍然进展不足 OA的发病机制，包括软骨破坏和关节重塑的机制。结果是 在早期阶段，用于预防、治疗和诊断OA的药物开发进展缓慢， 关节置换手术是晚期的最终治疗方法。 由于认识到OA软骨中的变性和重塑事件反映了骨关节炎的变化， 关节软骨细胞的分化、基因表达和代谢活性，该细胞的生物学特性， 类型已经成为研究的焦点。我们在认识人类社会问题上的重大进展 骨关节炎关节中的软骨变性、肥大和重塑来自于使用 组织培养和转基因动物。强有力的证据表明， 这些事件与调节软骨细胞分化、成熟和 骨骼发育中的软骨内骨化这种调节现象的重叠是一种主要的 前两次戈登软骨生物学会议的基本原理。这两个非常成功的会议， 软骨生物学首次将骨骼发育，生物化学， 软骨生物力学，细胞和分子生物学，软骨病理学，人类遗传学， 骨骼疾病、矫形研究和组织工程。 在制定第三次会议的计划时，特别注意为年轻人提供 科学家和少数民族有机会展示和讨论他们的新数据。但也有人认为， 如果没有领导人的开创性和高度激励性的贡献， 这一领域的资深科学家，他们在塑造这一领域的形式和科学水平方面发挥了重要作用， 以前的会议。特别注意确保会议充分利用 大量女科学家担任发言人和会议主席。

Worldwide increasing interest and the fascination which cartilage research is receiving today has to do with the two faces of cartilage: On the one hand, cartilage is a permanent tissue of outstanding biomechanical properties in the adult organism, providing joints with elasticity and high mechanical stability and ensuring mobility. On the other hand, cartilage has evolved in evolution as a transient tissue, shaping a model of the skeleton. Osteoarthritis (OA) and other degenerative joint diseases are not an inevitable fate coming with age. Several decades of research have shown ample evidence for genetic predisposition and for environmental or occupational risk for developing osteoarthritis. Nevertheless, there is still insufficient progress in understanding the pathogenesis of OA, including mechanisms of cartilage destruction and joint remodeling. As a result, there is only slow progress in the development of medication for prevention, therapy and diagnosis of OA in early phases, leaving joint replacement operations as the final therapy in late stages. With the recognition that degeneration and remodeling events in OA cartilage reflect changes in differentiation, gene expression and metabolic activities of the articular chondrocyte, the biology of this cell type has been moving to the center of research focus. Major progress in our understanding problems of cartilage degeneration, hypertrophy and remodeling in osteoarthritic joints has come from basic studies using tissue culture and transgenic animals. Strong evidence shows that the molecular mechanisms responsible for these events are very similar to mechanisms regulating chondrocyte differentiation, maturation and endochondral ossification in skeletal development This overlap of regulatory phenomena was a major rationale for the first two Gordon Conferences on cartilage biology. These two very successful conferences on cartilage biology brought together, for the first time, the fields of skeletal development, biochemistry, biomechanics, cell- and molecular biology of cartilage with the fields of cartilage pathology, human genetics of skeletal disorders, orthopedic research and tissue engineering. In setting up the program for the third conference, special attention is being paid to offer young scientists and minorities the chance to present and discuss their new data. But it was also felt that the conference would not be successful without the seminal and highly motivating contributions of the leading senior scientists in this field who had been instrumental in shaping the format and scientific level of the previous conferences. Special attention has been given to assure that the meeting takes full advantage of substantial representation of woman scientists as speakers and session chairs.