2008 Conference on Cell Replacement in the Inner Ear

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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.