2017 The Cell Biology of Megakaryocytes & Platelets Gordon Research Conference & Gordon Research Seminar

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PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT The biennial Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on the Cell Biology of Megakaryocytes and Platelets brings together current leaders, junior investigators and trainees working on the development and disorders of the megakaryocyte lineage. It is the premier international meeting in the field. The ongoing, long-term scientific mission is to bridge the gap between researchers working on different aspects of the lineage, i.e. stem cells, megakaryocytes and platelets. This mission is more relevant than ever, as the interdependence between each cell type becomes increasingly clear, e.g. the role of megakaryocytes in stem cell development, and the impact of inflammation on megakaryocyte growth and platelet production. The overarching, aim of the GRC is to allow current and emerging leaders of the field to communicate unpublished data, thereby educating colleagues, promoting discussions and fostering collaborations. Specifically, the aims are to:1. Highlight the extraordinary progress being made in congenital platelet disorders. In 2000, the causative lesion was known for ~5% of these conditions. This is now more than 50%. The impact this knowledge is having on diagnosis, treatment and the opening up of novel therapeutic possibilities will be discussed.2. Disseminate the latest unpublished research linking the lineage to immunity and inflammation. It is increasingly apparent that platelets can promote inflammation, and that inflammation and infection can impact on hemostasis and trigger hemorrhage. This suggests a range of new therapeutic entry points that will be vigorously explored. 3. Promote the expanding field of platelets in cancer. This includes the role platelets play in mediating tumor metastasis, and the link between cancer-associated inflammation, elevated platelet production, and thrombosis. Despite decades of research, only now are some of the potential therapeutic entry points beginning to emerge. To achieve these aims, the 2017 GRC has made the following commitments: 1. In the earlier iterations of this meeting, sessions focused on platelets or megakaryocytes, and the meeting was essentially divided into two halves. For GRC 2017, the program intermixes sessions on megakaryocytes or platelets with sessions dealing with processes or diseases affecting/involving the lineage more broadly. 2. In 2017 we will be compressing the coffee breaks and trimming keynote speaker times to allow 12 talks to be selected from abstracts. Senior investigators will be kept absolutely to time, and the abstract talks will be intermixed with invited speakers so that attendance is maximized for junior investigators. 3. Multidisciplinarity will be emphasized, e.g. the session on the various approaches and technologies that are being brought to bear on congenital platelet disorders, including mapping, exome sequencing, and GWAS. 4. The therapeutic potential of the field in multiple areas will be tackled, with talks on c-Mpl mutations in myeloproliferative neoplasms, agents such as AURKA inhibitors in leukemia, and PI3K inhibitors in thrombosis.