2008 Proteoglycans Gordon Research Conference

描述(由申请人提供)：/摘要自1984年以来，每两年举行一次戈登蛋白质多糖会议，聚集了一个国际研究小组，进行为期一周的动态互动和深入讨论该领域的最新进展。演讲者将被邀请在九个全体会议上介绍最新的、新颖的和令人兴奋的发现，并辅之以简短的演讲和海报演示。蛋白多糖领域是真正国际化的，在斯堪的纳维亚、欧洲、日本和美国等地设有卓越的中心。从历史上看，参加会议的人数反映了这种国际卓越，大约45%来自美国以外的地区。因此，NIH资助的研究人员可以与其他顶尖研究人员面对面地会面，分享他们的最新发现，并建立合作关系，以促进我们对蛋白多糖和疾病机制的理解。蛋白多糖生物学植根于结缔组织和关节炎领域。这项开创性的工作提供了对蛋白多糖核心蛋白和糖胺多糖链的结构和相互作用的早期洞察，事实证明，这些结构和相互作用对正常结缔组织功能至关重要。这导致了对其他蛋白多糖的密集搜索和描述。如今，该领域的“参与者”已基本确定，研究的重点是发现新的机制和功能，并将这些发现扩展到越来越多的疾病，包括神经退行性变、炎症和自身免疫、肿瘤侵袭、心血管疾病、肌肉营养不良、骨骼疾病等。随着这一领域的扩展，我们发现这些领域的专家也加入了我们的行列，他们希望扩大他们的工作，将蛋白多糖包括在内。因此，戈登蛋白多糖会议的一个中心目标是邀请这些科学家分享他们的研究和知识，从而通过尽可能广泛和最佳的专业知识来了解蛋白多糖在人类疾病中的作用，从而拓宽该领域。最后，蛋白多糖领域以其合议性、开放的讨论和初级调查人员的支持而闻名。主席和方案委员会已经并将作出协调一致的努力，以确保代表性不足的少数群体，包括妇女和残疾人的代表性，从而增加为实地作出贡献的机会。公共卫生研究会议的目标是促进与蛋白多糖研究人类疾病相关的思想、新发现、概念和技术的交流。预计这次会议的成果将是加深对许多人类疾病的认识，包括人类发育、肌肉骨骼系统、神经系统、血管系统、免疫和癌症的疾病，这种认识最终将导致制定抗击这些疾病的新药和治疗方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): / Abstract The Gordon Conference on Proteoglycans, held every two years since 1984, brings together an international group of investigators for a week of dynamic interactions and in-depth discussion of recent advances in the field. Speakers will be invited to present recent, novel, and exciting findings in nine plenary sessions, supplemented by short talks, and poster presentations. The Proteoglycan field is truly international, with hubs of excellence in Scandinavia, Europe, Japan, and the USA, among others. Conference attendance has historically reflected this international excellence, with approximately 45% from outside the USA. Thus, NIH-funded investigators can meet face-to-face with other top researchers, to share their recent findings, and to set up collaborations to advance our understanding of proteoglycans and disease mechanisms. Proteoglycan biology is rooted in the area of connective tissue and arthritis. This pioneering work provided early insight into the structure and interactions of proteoglycan core protein and glycosaminoglycan chains that proved critical for normal connective tissue function. This led to an intense search for and description of other proteoglycans. Today, the "players" in the field have largely been identified, and research is focused on discovering new mechanisms and functions, and extending these findings to an increasing number of diseases, including neurodegeneration, inflammation and autoimmunity, tumor invasion, cardiovascular disease, muscular dystrophy, bone diseases, and others. As the field expands, we find ourselves joined by experts in these areas who wish to expand their work to include proteoglycans. Thus, a central aim of the Gordon Conference on Proteoglycans is to invite these scientists to share their research and knowledge, thus broadening the field by bringing the widest and best expertise possible to bear on understanding the role of proteoglycans in human disease. Finally, the Proteoglycan field is well-known for its collegiality, open discussions, and support of junior investigators. A concerted effort has been and will be made by the Chair and Program Committee to ensure representation of under- represented minorities, including women and persons with disabilities, and thus bolster opportunities to contribute to the field. of Research to Public Health The goal of the conference is to promote the exchange of ideas, new findings, concepts, and technology related to proteoglycan research into human disease. It is anticipated that the outcome of the conference will be an enhanced understanding of numerous human diseases, including those of human development, the musculoskeletal system, nervous system, vascular system, immunity, and cancer, and that this understanding will ultimately lead to the formulation of new drugs and treatments for combating these diseases.