Epigenetic Basis of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is to request support for a Keystone Symposia meeting entitled "Epigenetic Basis of Neurodevelopmental Disorders", organized by Xinyu Zhao and Peng Jin, which will be held in Keystone, Colorado from March 6 - 10, 2009. Neurodevelopmental disorders are highly heterogeneous constellations of disorders, both in terms of etiology and clinical manifestations. Past effort has focused on identifying the genetic basis of these disorders with minimal success. Epigenetic modulations, mediated by DNA methylation, RNA-associated silencing, and histone modification, can imprint dynamic environmental experiences on the "fixed" genome, resulting in stable alterations in phenotypes. This conference will focus on an emerging area of biomedical research: how epigenetic modulation shapes brain development and disorders. The meeting will examine the common molecular pathways affected in several related neurodevelopmental disorders and discuss how pre- and postnatal exposures to pollutants, alcohol, drug, nutrition, and parental care, etc., may affect neurodevelopment via epigenetic pathways. The overall goal of the meeting is to gain insight into the common molecular pathways affected among these disorders and to discover potential therapeutic targets that have been missed by looking at one disorder at a time.