Keystone Symposia Meetings on Neurodegenerative Diseases and Axonal Connections

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案旨在请求支持2009年同时举行的两次Keystone专题讨论会，主题为神经退行性疾病：新的分子机制（由Valina L. Dawson和大卫M.和轴突连接：发育和再生的分子线索（由约翰G。Flanagan，玛丽T.菲尔宾和利群罗），将于2009年2月17日至22日在科罗拉多的基斯通举行。联合举行这些会议-包括一个共同的主题演讲和三个共享的全体会议加上相当多的共享非结构化时间-提供了一个独特的机会，将神经系统疾病发病机制的深入讨论与关于轴突生长和再生的正常生物学的分子和生理机制的高层次讨论联系起来。神经退行性疾病会议的重点是我们对神经退行性疾病的原因和病理进展的理解的重大进展。致病突变的鉴定为开发新的预测模型和更接近新的治疗方法提供了前所未有的机会。生物化学，基因组学，蛋白质组学和成像技术的进步促进了在复杂疾病中提出和回答复杂问题的能力，以及对神经退行性疾病具有不同细胞死亡信号级联的认识，这些信号级联可以共享一些共同的分子事件。本次会议将强调理解可能的共同机制以及神经退行性疾病的独特特征，如阿尔茨海默病（AD），帕金森病（PD），三重重复疾病，肌萎缩侧索硬化症（ALS）等。关于轴突连接的会议：发育和再生的分子线索侧重于神经系统的正常功能，特别是在发育过程中形成复杂的连接模式。如果这种连接随后因损伤或变性而丢失，则成年CNS中的轴突无法再生，从而产生重大的临床挑战。在过去的几年里，在确定轴突发育和再生的分子机制方面取得了巨大的进展，尽管关于这些复杂的过程还有很多东西要了解。在识别新的细胞外调节因子、理解神经元将细胞外信息转换为适当反应的机制以及学习神经连接形成的潜在分子逻辑方面，正在取得快速进展。这些同时举行的会议将汇集轴突发育、退化和再生领域的研究人员;促进这些领域之间的思想、信息和合作交流;在这些令人兴奋的专题研究领域的问题、方法和机会方面培训年轻科学家;促进理解神经回路形成的基本机制和开发新策略的科学和转化目标进行治疗性修复 公共卫生相关性：在美国，神经系统疾病影响大约5000万美国人，每年的医疗和相关费用估计为4000亿美元。不幸的是，对于患有神经系统疾病的人来说，几乎没有治疗方法。同样，成人中枢神经系统（CNS）的损伤或变性可能导致轴突无法再生，这造成了重大的临床挑战，因为神经系统的功能取决于发育期间形成的复杂连接模式。这些同时举行的会议将汇集轴突发育、退化和再生领域的研究人员;促进这些领域之间的思想、信息和合作交流;在这些令人兴奋的专题研究领域的问题、方法和机会方面培训年轻科学家;促进理解神经回路形成的基本机制和开发新策略的科学和转化目标进行治疗性修复

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is to request support for a pair of concurrent 2009 Keystone Symposia meetings entitled Neurodegenerative Diseases: New Molecular Mechanisms (organized by Valina L. Dawson and David M. Holtzman), and Axonal Connections: Molecular Cues for Development and Regeneration (organized by John G. Flanagan, Marie T. Filbin and Liqun Luo), to be held in Keystone, Colorado from February 17 - 22, 2009. Holding these meetings jointly - including a common keynote address and three shared plenary sessions plus considerable shared unstructured time - provides a unique opportunity for bridging an in-depth discussion of neurological disease pathogenesis with a high-level discourse on the molecular and physiological mechanisms governing the normal biology of axon growth and regeneration. The meeting on Neurodegenerative Diseases focuses on significant advances in our understanding of the causes and pathologic progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Identification of disease-causing mutations has provided unprecedented opportunities to develop new and predictive models and move closer to new therapeutic treatments. Technological advances in biochemistry, genomics, proteomics and imaging have facilitated the ability to pose and answer complex questions in complex disease, as well as an appreciation that neurodegenerative diseases have distinct cell death signaling cascades that can share some common molecular events. This meeting will emphasize understanding possible common mechanisms as well as the distinct characteristics of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), triple repeat diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and others. The meeting on Axonal Connections: Molecular Cues for Development and Regeneration focuses on the normal functioning of the nervous system and, in particular, formation of the complex pattern of connections during development. If such connections are subsequently lost through injury or degeneration, axons in the adult CNS fail to regenerate, creating a major clinical challenge. The last several years have seen tremendous progress in identifying molecular mechanisms for axon development and regeneration, although much remains to be learned about these complex processes. Rapid progress is being made in identifying new classes of extracellular regulators, understanding the mechanisms by which this extracellular information is transduced by the neuron into appropriate responses, and learning the underlying molecular logic for the formation of neural connectivity. These concurrent meetings will bring together researchers in the fields of axon development, degeneration and regeneration; promote exchange of ideas, information and collaboration among these fields; train young scientists in the questions, approaches, and opportunities in these exciting and topical research areas; and promote scientific and translational goals of understanding the basic mechanisms for the formation of neural circuits and developing new strategies for therapeutic repair. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: In the USA, neurological disorders affect approximately 50 million Americans and cost an estimated $400 billion annually in medical and related expenses. Unfortunately there are few therapies for individuals who suffer from neurologic disease. Likewise, injury or degeneration in the adult central nervous system (CNS) can cause axons to fail to regenerate, creating a major clinical challenge as the functioning of the nervous system depends on the complex pattern of connections formed during development. These concurrent meetings will bring together researchers in the fields of axon development, degeneration and regeneration; promote exchange of ideas, information and collaboration among these fields; train young scientists in the questions, approaches, and opportunities in these exciting and topical research areas; and promote scientific and translational goals of understanding the basic mechanisms for the formation of neural circuits and developing new strategies for therapeutic repair.