EB2015: DEBRA International Symposium on Epidermolysis Bullosa

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 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This grant application requests support for a meeting, "EB2015: DEBRA International Symposium on Epidermolysis Bullosa", to be held on May 3-6, 2015, in Braselton, GA. The conference is part of a series of triennial research meetings on epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a devastating heritable blistering disease for which there is no effective treatment or cure. These meetings are sponsored by DEBRA International, the coalition of global patient advocacy organizations, and the host and the organizer of this meeting will be DEBRA America, a not-for-profit organization advocating on behalf of patients with EB and their families. The overall goal of this symposium is to provide an international forum for the cadre of premiere scientists working in fields relating to skin fragility syndromes i the spectrum of EB. The organizing committee has developed a program, with the specific aims to foster a greater understanding of the clinical problems of EB; present and discuss advances in cutting edge scientific research on EB; promote collaboration between basic scientists and clinicians; and provide opportunities for students, post-doctoral fellows and young investigators in the field with interest in pathogenesis and treatment of cutaneous diseases. The thematic sessions focus on (1) framing the challenges; (2) provide patient perspectives and review the unmet clinical needs; (3) review the basic science advances in genetics, genomics and diagnostics; (4) discuss prospects of genetic and replacement strategies; (5) protein and stem cell biology; (6) induced pluripotent stem cell technologies; (7) tissue engineering and preclinica models; (8) cancer and scarring in EB; (9) update on clinical trials; and (10) looking ahead to commercializing EB therapies. The audience is expected to consist of ~150 participants, including a significant number of young and new investigators in the field - students, fellows, and junior faculty. The organizers will also reach out to communities of under-represented minorities with invitations and incentives to participate in this meeting, towards building a pipeline of future minority researchers in cutaneous biology and particularly EB. We believe that the planned meeting is extremely timely, and it is expected to prove its usefulness in bringing interdisciplinary approaches for the research themes for the future with focus on developing molecular approaches for treatment, and perhaps a cure, for EB and related heritable blistering diseases.