2008 Conference on Cell Replacement in the Inner Ear

描述（由申请人提供）：部分支持要求为3天的基础研究在新兴的细胞替代领域的国际会议，特别强调内耳。会议将于2008年6月12日至15日在马里兰州贝塞斯达举行。这次会议将是在美国举行的第三次关于内耳再生主题的重要会议，最近一次是十多年前这次会议是非常及时和合理的实质性进展，在几个领域的感觉再生生物学，包括在内耳。拟议的会议有三个一般目的：1）提供再生生物学重点教育的机会，2）促进对当前科学数据的讨论和对内耳再生未来方向的优先考虑，以及3）加强美国和国际研究人员之间的合作，这被认为对加速该领域的进展至关重要。最近的发现证实了通过替换内耳中缺失或受损的细胞（感觉和非感觉细胞）来恢复听力和平衡的潜力。拟议的会议将为来自各种背景和教育水平的研究人员提供一个论坛，介绍有关再生的重要步骤，包括祖细胞增殖，细胞分化和功能成熟，在听觉，前庭和侧线系统调节机制的研究结果。会议分为具体的会议/主题领域，有助于指导和集中教育经验。在每一次会议上，来自其他领域的科学家对基本再生机制有着重要的见解，他们将分享他们的最新发现。随后，内耳再生的研究人员将介绍他们最近的工作。将为研究人员分配充足的时间，以讨论他们的工作，并比较和对比系统内和系统间的数据。主要重点将放在讨论目前可用的工具，在细胞，分子和遗传水平接近特定的科学问题，在内耳和其他系统。额外的重点将放在考虑影响潜在的临床应用，以实现哺乳动物细胞再生。公共卫生相关性声明 内耳的感觉障碍经常发生，影响世界各地和各行各业的人们。仅在美国，就有3000万人患有听力损失，9500万人一生中至少会向医生抱怨一次头晕。听力和平衡问题的治疗、障碍和康复的成本导致了巨大的社会负担。听力和平衡障碍的主要原因是内耳感觉上皮中感觉毛细胞的不可逆损失;然而，内耳的其他疾病，包括血管纹的变化，也会导致听力障碍。目前听力损失的治疗方法包括通过助听器进行声音放大或绕过受损的感觉上皮直接刺激耳蜗神经。对于前庭功能丧失没有已知的治疗方法。感觉上皮和其他受影响的细胞类型的恢复有望在损伤后提供改善的听觉和前庭处理的恢复。会议的目标是促进来自世界各地的研究人员之间的研究信息，想法，工具和技术的交流，他们对再生生物学感兴趣。会议将讨论最近的基础科学发现，并将强调未来研究的重要方向。这种交流应该激励和重点研究内耳听力再生。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Partial support is requested for a 3-day international conference on fundamental research in the emerging field of cell replacement, with special emphasis on the inner ear. The conference will be held in Bethesda, MD from June 12-15 in 2008. The conference will be the third major conference on the topic of inner ear regeneration held in the U.S., the last one being over 10 years ago. This meeting is very timely and justified by substantial advances in several areas of sensory regenerative biology, including in the inner ear. The proposed meeting has three general purposes: 1) to provide opportunities for focused education in regenerative biology, 2) to promote discussion of current scientific data and prioritization of future directions for inner ear regeneration, and 3) to enhance collaborations between U.S. and international investigators, which are recognized as vital to accelerating progress in the field. Recent discoveries have affirmed the potential for restoration of hearing and balance through replacing missing or damaged cells (sensory and non-sensory) in the inner ear. The proposed meeting will provide a forum for researchers from a variety of backgrounds and educational levels to present findings pertaining to mechanisms regulating important steps of regeneration, including progenitor cell proliferation, cellular differentiation, and functional maturation, in the auditory, vestibular, and lateral line systems. The meeting is organized into specific sessions/topic areas that help to direct and focus the educational experience. In each session, scientists from other fields with significant insight into fundamental regenerative mechanisms will share their latest findings. Subsequently, investigators in inner ear regeneration will present their recent work. Ample time will be allotted for researchers to discuss their work and to compare and contrast data within and across systems. Major emphasis will be placed on the discussion of current tools available at the cellular, molecular, and genetic levels for approaching specific scientific questions in the inner ear and in other systems. Additional emphasis will be placed on considerations that impact potential clinical applications to achieve cellular regeneration in mammals. Public Health Relevance Statement Sensory disorders of the inner ear occur frequently, affecting people world-wide and in all walks of life. In the United States alone, 30 million people have hearing loss, and 95 million people will complain to their doctors of dizziness at least once in their lifetime. The cost of treatment, habilitation, and rehabilitation of hearing and balance problems results in a substantial societal burden. The main cause of hearing and balance disorders is the irreversible loss of sensory hair cells in inner ear sensory epithelia; however, other ailments of the inner ear, including changes in the stria vascularis, also lead to hearing deficits. Current treatments for hearing loss involve sound amplification via hearing aids or direct stimulation of the cochlear nerve, bypassing the damaged sensory epithelium. There are no known treatments for loss of vestibular function. Restoration of the sensory epithelium and the other affected cell types promises to provide improved return of auditory and vestibular processing following damage. The goal of the conference is to foster the exchange of research information, ideas, tools, and technologies among investigators from across the world who share an interest in regenerative biology. The meeting will discuss recent basic science discoveries and will highlight important directions for future research. This interchange should invigorate and focus research in inner ear hearing regeneration.