Multiple Sclerosis

描述（由申请人提供）：要求支持由Trevor J. Kilpatrick， Brenda Banwell和Hartmut Wekerle组织的题为“多发性硬化症”的Keystone专题会议。会议将于2013年1月11日至16日在蒙大拿州的Big Sky举行。多发性硬化症（MS）是一种复杂的疾病，遗传、环境和随机因素共同作用导致免疫系统和神经细胞之间的异常相互作用，最终转化为进行性神经功能障碍。我们对MS的理解是

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia meeting entitled Multiple Sclerosis, organized by Trevor J. Kilpatrick, Brenda Banwell and Hartmut Wekerle. The meeting will be held in Big Sky, Montana from January 11 - 16, 2013. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex disease in which genetic, environmental and stochastic factors all play a part to induce aberrant interactions between the immune system and neural cells, ultimately transforming into progressive neurological disability. Our understanding of MS is rapidly evolving and multiple areas of research are showing great promise of future treatment or cure. However, further progress will depend on establishing a deep understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms. With this in mind, this meeting aims to: 1) define integrated approaches by which to study disease pathogenesis, which represents a critical barrier to progress in the field; 2) provide an up to date perspective on molecular pathogenesis and how this might be used to optimize patient management; 3) define state of the art technologies by which to quantitate disease burden; 4) discuss key elements concerning the concept of disease heterogeneity and how emergent approaches to disease stratification can optimize management strategies; and 5) provide perspectives concerning the potential therapeutic applications of neuroprotective, regenerative and bioengineering based strategies, and how these might complement immunotherapy. Speakers have been carefully selected on the basis that, independent of whether they are basic scientists or clinician researchers, they each have a track record in adopting a multi-disciplinary approach that has enabled the application of discoveries in one area of endeavor to seed advances in another. We anticipate that participants will gain an understanding of how a systems biology based approach can accelerate our knowledge base of multiple sclerosis and how that knowledge base can be successfully applied to novel clinical research and development, as well as potentiated patient care.