Ninth International Congress of Neuroimmunology

描述（由申请人提供）：本申请请求对由国际神经免疫学学会（ISNI）主办的第9届国际神经免疫学学会国际大会的部分支持，该大会将于2008年10月26日至30日在德克萨斯州沃斯堡举行。这将是自1987年在费城举行的第二届国际大会以来，首次在美国举行的大会。大会之前将举行由欧洲神经免疫学学院赞助的会前活动，由神经免疫学领域的领导者代表。Michael K.博士作者声明：Caroline C.惠塔克，是大会的共同组织者。Whitacre博士目前是该协会的副主席，并将在这次会议上成为ISNI的主席。她是国会国际咨询委员会成员。申请的资金将由大会组织者用于鼓励神经免疫学领域的初级和少数民族研究人员参加。该大会是国际神经免疫学日历上的主要事件，每2或3年举行一次。预计出席人数为1，200 - 1，500人。我们在威尼斯举办的2004年ISNI大会接待了1200多名与会者，在2006年的名古屋，1000多名与会者。由于越来越多的人认识到免疫系统在许多神经系统疾病中的关键作用，神经免疫学已成为一个重要的和不断扩大的生物医学领域，涵盖了从遗传学，基础免疫学和神经生物学，通过神经化学，药理学，内分泌学，神经病理学和神经免疫调节，到临床免疫学和神经学的各种学科。该科学计划将侧重于免疫监视的基本机制，包括神经成像，神经系统修复，免疫反应的神经系统调节和神经疾病的免疫机制的新技术。高度重视神经系统疾病（多发性硬化症、神经胶质瘤、副肿瘤综合征、神经肌肉疾病、精神疾病、艾滋病毒脑炎、病毒感染等）的新治疗方法（基因、细胞和免疫疗法），会渗透到整个项目中干细胞在神经修复和神经退行性变机制方面的研究也将是突出的特点。这项申请是旅费，将用于鼓励来自世界各地，特别是来自欠发达国家的年轻和少数民族研究人员（博士前和博士后）参加。候选人的挑选将由美国当地的组委会进行。由于对转化研究的高度重视，继续医学教育学分将在大会上提供，并要求提供支持，以支付与披露信息管理和整体认证过程相关的费用，这将确保所有大会演讲都是平衡的，对参与者没有偏见。 公共卫生相关性：神经免疫学与大多数退行性神经疾病有很大的相关性，因为神经系统与免疫系统不断沟通，并对几乎任何类型的压力做出反应。神经系统产生与免疫系统相互作用的分子，反之亦然，当神经系统发生炎症时，导致重要的相互作用。神经免疫学与公共卫生有着巨大的相关性，因为免疫反应可以被阻断或调节，从而使它们适合治疗。近年来，多发性硬化症和阿尔茨海默病的巨大进步是从神经免疫学研究中产生的治疗策略的应用中发展而来的。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application requests partial support for the 9th International Congress of the International Society of Neuroimmunology sponsored by the International Society of Neuroimmunology (ISNI), which will take place in Fort Worth, Texas, from October 26 - 30, 2008. This will be the first Congress held in the United States since the 2nd International Congress held in Philadelphia in 1987. The congress will be preceded by a pre-congress program sponsored by the European School of Neuroimmunology, represented by leaders in the field of neuroimmunology. Drs. Michael K. Racke and Caroline C. Whitacre, are the Congress co-organizers. Dr. Whitacre is currently the Society's Vice-President and will become the President of ISNI at this meeting. She is a member of the International Advisory Committee of the Congress. The funds requested will be used by the congress organizers to encourage the attendance of junior and minority investigators in the field of Neuroimmunology. This congress is the major event in the international neuroimmunology calendar and is held every 2 or 3 years. Anticipated attendance is 1,200-1,500. Our 2004 ISNI Congress in Venice hosted 1200+ attendees and Nagoya in 2006, 1000+ attendees. Due to the increasing recognition of the key role of the immune system in many neurological diseases, neuroimmunology has become an important and continuously expanding biomedical field, encompassing a wide variety of disciplines ranging from genetics, basic immunology and neurobiology, through neurochemistry, pharmacology, endocrinology, neuropathology and neuroimmunomodulation, to clinical immunology and neurology. The scientific program will focus on basic mechanisms of immune surveillance, including new techniques in neuroimaging, repair of the nervous system, nervous system regulation of immune responses, and immunologic mechanisms of neurologic diseases. A heavy emphasis on new therapeutic approaches (gene, cell and immune-based therapies) in neurologic diseases (multiple sclerosis, gliomas, paraneoplastic syndromes, neuromuscular disorders, psychiatric disease, HIV encephalitis, viral infections, etc.), will permeate the program. Stem cell research in neural repair and mechanisms of neurodegeneration will also feature prominently. This request is for travel funds and will be used to encourage young and minority investigators (pre- and postdoctoral) to attend from around the world, in particular from less developed countries. The selection of candidates will be carried out by a local organizing committee in the United States. Because of the heavy emphasis on translational research, Continuing Medical Education credits will be offered at the congress and support will be requested to cover the costs associated with the administration of disclosure information and the overall accreditation process, which will ensure all congress presentations are balanced and free of bias for the participants. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Neuroimmunology is of great relevance to most degenerative neurologic conditions because the nervous system is in constant communication with the immune system and responds to almost any type of stress. The nervous system produces molecules that interact with the immune system and vice-versa, leading to important interactions when inflammation occurs in the nervous system. Neuroimmunology has tremendous relevance to public health in that immune responses can be either blocked or modulated thus making them amenable to therapy. The enormous strides made in multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease in recent years have evolved from the application of therapeutic strategies that grew out of neuroimmunologic investigations.