2009 Molecular Approaches for Emergent Re-emergent Tropical Diseases Gordon Resea

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal requests partial support for a meeting on Molecular Approaches for Emergent / Re-Emergent Tropical Diseases (ETD) as part of the Gordon Research Conference series to be held in Galveston, Texas, January 25-30, 2009. The broad and long-term goal of the conference is to increase our understanding of host-pathogen interactions with the aim of developing new insights for controlling ETDs. The specific aims of this meeting will be to convene 35 speakers that represent critical areas of neglected tropical diseases with a total of 150 participants for a five-day conference in a relatively isolated setting. The program will have two initial keynote addresses and three sections that broadly address current issues of host cell invasion, homing/latency, innate mechanisms of resistance and pathogen transmission and their influence on disease outcome. This will be followed by a second segment of the conference that will deal with more applied issues related to strategies of disease control. The second segment will begin with two keynote addresses on vector-borne diseases and immunological aspects relevant to induction of long-lasting protective immunity by vaccination, followed by sections that deal with the use of transgenic vectors, vaccination, chemotherapy and epidemiology related to the control of ETDs. In addition, two afternoon poster sessions will permit all participants to contribute to these topics. The significance of this application is that the Gordon Research Conference on ETDs provides a forum that brings together and synergizes members of the international research community on topical diseases. The health relatedness of this application is that the discussions will define the important questions on basic science as they relate to the development of new strategies to control the most important tropical diseases. Approximately 1 billion people - one sixth of the world's population - suffer from one or more tropical diseases, contributing to significant political, social and economic instability in the endemic countries. With widespread environmental changes and population migration, numerous of these infectious diseases are emerging and re- emerging in different parts of the world. The health relatedness of this application is that the discussions of current research will define important questions that need to be addressed for development of new strategies to control the ETDs.