Coming Together on Epilepsy Genetics: From Human to Model Organisms, and Back

描述（由申请人提供）：在过去的十年中，遗传学在特发性和隐源性癫痫的易感性中起着重要作用已被广泛认识。到目前为止，快速进展仅限于孟德尔病的研究，部分原因是大多数遗传性癫痫在基因上是复杂的。然而，DNA测序技术的最新进展有望使遗传简单和复杂癫痫的突破性基因发现成为可能——新的假定的遗传变异正在迅速和大量地被发现。最近的研讨会认识到这种可能性，但主要集中在人类遗传学和临床方面。例如，在8月30日至9月1日在圣地亚哥举行的“人类癫痫遗传学的机遇”会议上，很少有演讲涉及动物建模或详细讨论考虑事项。我们认识到，模式生物的参与对于发现新的人类变异至关重要，因为a)验证和扩展人类的发现（特别是从零星病例中发现的变异），b)了解疾病的潜在机制，c)使用最好的动物模型来检查新疗法的前景。我们提议的会议是圣地亚哥会议的自然后续，将是在癫痫领域领先的关键人类遗传学家的独特平衡，动物建模师研究啮齿动物，苍蝇和斑马鱼的疾病，实验家专注于治疗开发。我们的共同组织者各自的专业知识引领了这种平衡的代表方式。拟于2011年10月9日至11日在缅因州巴尔港杰克逊实验室公海会议中心召开的会议“癫痫遗传学：从人类到模式生物再回到人类”。会议规模小，互动性强，让所有参与者——不仅仅是受邀的演讲者——参与小组讨论和演讲。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the past decade it has been broadly recognized that genetics plays a large role in susceptibility to idiopathic and cryptogenic epilepsy. Until now, rapid progress has been limited to the study of Mendelian disease - in part because most heritable epilepsy is genetically complex. However, recent advances in DNA sequencing technologies are expected to enable breakthrough gene discovery for both genetically simple and complex epilepsy - with new putative genetic variants being discovered very rapidly and in large numbers. Recent workshops recognized this eventuality, but focused primarily on the human genetics and clinical aspects. For example, at "Opportunities in the Genetics of Human Epilepsy," held on August 30-September 1 in San Diego, few presentations covered animal modeling or discussed the considerations in any detail. We recognize that involvement of model organisms is absolutely critical for the take-home value of discovery of new human variants in order to a) validate and extend the human findings (particularly important with variants identified from sporadic cases), b) understand the mechanisms underlying the disease, and c) use the best possible animal models to examine the prospects of new therapies. Our proposed meeting is a natural follow-up to San Diego and will be a unique balance of key human geneticists leading the way in the field of epilepsy, with animal modelers studying the disease in rodents, flies and zebrafish, with experimentalists focused on therapy development. The respective expertise of our co- organizers leads the way for this balanced representation. The proposed meeting "Coming Together on Epilepsy Genetics: from human to model organisms and back" will take place at The Jackson Laboratory's Highseas Conference Center in Bar Harbor Maine on October 9th - 11th 2011. The meeting is designed to be small and highly interactive, involving all of the participants - not just the invited speakers - in group discussions and in presentations. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Approximately 1.4 to 2.7 million people suffer from this potentially life threatening disorder in the US alone. In order to understand and develop strategies to treat simple and complex epilepsy, we must develop models that recapitulate the human condition. This can only be done through ongoing dialogue and close collaboration between clinical scientists and basic researchers developing models to validate and extend clinical findings and to understand the complex etiology of epilepsy and its variant forms. This meeting promotes such a dialogue. ) Disclaimer: Please note that the following critiques were prepared by the reviewers prior to the Study Section meeting and are provided in an essentially unedited form. While there is opportunity for the reviewers to update or revise their written evaluation, based upon the group's discussion, there is no guarantee that individual critiques have been updated subsequent to the discussion at the meeting. Therefore, the critiques may not fully reflect the final opinions of the individual reviewers at the close of group discussion or the final majority opinion of the group. Thus the Resume and Summary of Discussion is the final word on what the reviewers actually considered critical at the meeting.