14th Biennial FASEB Summer Research Conference on Retinoids

描述(由申请人提供)： 本申请请求部分支持将于2008年6月15-20日在康涅狄格州纽黑文市耶鲁酒店欧姆尼纽黑文举行的第14届美国实验生物学学会联合会(FASE B)关于维甲酸的夏季研究会议。这个一年两次的研究会议出席人数非常多(在过去24年中，出席人数从125人到200人不等)，并且仍然是唯一一次涉及维甲酸生物学全光谱的主要国内和国际会议。在过去的二十年里，关于维甲酸对多种生物和医学重要过程的重要性的认识迅速增加。然而，在正常的人类生理学和病理生理学中，仍有许多关于视黄醇作用的知识需要了解。为了满足这种对信息的需求，有大量正在进行的研究活动集中在维甲酸(NIH CRISP数据库表明，目前有191个基金资助的NIH涉及维甲酸生物学)。2008年会议将包括一次全体演讲、平台演讲和海报会议，使科学与会者能够交流新的研究成果。会议的主要议题包括：(1)维甲酸代谢和动态平衡；(2)维甲酸受体的结构和调节；(3)维甲酸作用的酶控制；(4)维甲酸在视觉中的作用；(5)维甲酸与癌症；(6)维甲酸的生理作用；(7)维甲酸在发育中的作用；(8)维甲酸对细胞生长和分化的调节；(9)维甲酸对干细胞可塑性和分化的调节。拟议中的维甲酸会议的总体目标是将一群研究人员(包括资深科学家、职业中期科学家、初级科学家、博士后研究员和研究生)聚集在一起，他们在不同的学科工作(作为生物化学家、分子生物学家、营养学家、癌症研究人员、发育生物学家、视觉研究人员、细胞生物学家、免疫学家、化学家和临床医生)，展示和讨论他们共同关注维甲酸的最新研究成果。这次会议将提供一个论坛，对最近的研究进行批判性审查，并发展新的研究想法和合作。这将刺激新的研究，最终将为维甲酸在预防疾病和保持健康方面的基本行动提供必要的洞察力。维甲酸是维生素A的活性形式，对人类健康的许多方面都有广泛的影响，包括视力、胚胎发育、免疫和不同类型细胞的分化；它们是治疗癌症和皮肤病的重要药物，可能在糖尿病/肥胖症和某些眼部疾病中发挥作用。这个一年两次的研究会议提供了唯一一个主要的国内和国际论坛，讨论维甲酸生物学的全部范围。其目标是促进科学交流和新的研究，从而为维甲酸在疾病预防和治疗中的作用提供必要的见解。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application requests partial support for the 14th Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Summer Research Conference on Retinoids to be held at the Omni New Haven at Yale Hotel in New Haven, CT from June 15-20, 2008. This bi-annual research conference has been very well attended (ranging from 125 to 200 attendees over the past 24 years) and remains the sole major national and international conference that addresses the full spectrum of retinoid biology. Knowledge of the importance of retinoids to a diverse group of biologically and medically important processes has increased very rapidly over the last two decades. Nevertheless, there is much that still needs to be learned regarding retinoid actions in both normal human physiology and pathophysiology. To meet this need for information, there is a great deal of ongoing research activity focused on the retinoids (the NIH CRISP database indicates that there are currently 191 funded NIH grants involving retinoid biology). The 2008 conference will consist of a plenary lecture, platform presentations and poster sessions that will allow for the exchange of new research findings amongst scientific attendees. The main topics to be addressed at the conference include: (1) retinoid metabolism and homeostasis; (2) structure and regulation of retinoid receptors; (3) enzymatic control of retinoic acid action; (4) retinoids in vision; (5) retinoids in cancer; (6) physiological actions of retinoids; (7) retinoids in development; (8) retinoid regulation of cell growth and differentiation; and (9) retinoid regulation of stem cell plasticity and differentiation. The overall goal of the proposed conference on retinoids is to bring together a group of investigators (including senior scientists, mid-career scientists, junior scientists, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students) who work in diverse disciplines (as biochemists, molecular biologists, nutritional scientists, cancer researchers, developmental biologists, vision researchers, cell biologists, immunologists, chemists, and clinicians) to present and discuss their newest research findings that share a common focus on the retinoids. This conference will provide a forum for the critical review of recent research and for the development of new research ideas and collaborations. This will stimulate new investigations that in time will provide needed insight into the essential actions of retinoids in preventing disease and maintaining good health. Retinoids, the active forms of vitamin A, have wide ranging effects on many aspects of human health including vision, embryonic development, immunity, and the differentiation of diverse cell types; they are important therapeutics for cancer and skin disorders, and may play a role in diabetes/obesity risk and certain ocular diseases. This bi-annual research conference provides the sole major national and international forum that addresses the full spectrum of retinoid biology. Its goal is to stimulate scientific exchange and new investigations that will provide needed insights into retinoid roles in disease prevention and treatment.