2011 Salivary Glands and Exocrine Biology Gordon Research Conference

描述(由申请人提供)：本提案寻求对将于2011年2月6日至11日在德克萨斯州加尔维斯顿加尔韦斯酒店举行的第8届戈登唾液腺和外分泌生物学研究会议的部分支持。这次会议意义重大，因为它是唾液腺和外分泌生物学领域卓越的多学科会议，将基础和翻译方面的知名研究人员与相关领域的有前途的初级科学家和专家聚集在一起。这次会议的总体目标是将这些研究人员聚集在一起，介绍他们最新的未发表的研究成果，并以“非正式”的方式在该领域的前沿进行密集但非正式的讨论。第二个目标是促进唾液研究人员与互补领域的研究人员形成合作，包括基础、翻译和临床研究人员。第一个具体目标是促进与理解唾液腺和其他外分泌腺(如泪腺和胰腺)及其分泌物的发育、生理学和病理生理学相关的未来重要研究方向的讨论和优先次序，包括最新的诊断和治疗进展。该计划的一个特殊特点将是扩大重点，包括肿瘤生物学、干细胞/祖细胞和iPS细胞、唾液诊断、糖生物学和系统生物学的进展。第二个具体目标是为研究生、博士后和初级教师级别的初级研究人员提供一个场所，讨论他们目前的研究，并建立包括合作在内的科学互动。这对于他们与同行建立网络至关重要，这可能导致终生合作和科学成就，并将刺激留住该领域最有才华的初级调查人员。该计划将由九次全体会议组成，包括两次以国际知名调查人员为主角的主旨演讲，以及两次海报会议。会议有三个主要主题，会议涉及1)发育和功能的分子机制，2)外分泌病、肿瘤和疾病遗传学，3)诊断和治疗学。这次会议的长期目标是将我们所学到的发育、生理和疾病知识结合起来，设计唾液组织或腺体功能丧失的治疗方法。唾液在维持口腔健康方面起着至关重要的作用，唾液腺功能的不可逆转丧失发生在涎腺肿瘤切除后、头颈部肿瘤治疗后、干燥综合征以及某些影响腺体发育的罕见遗传综合征中。唾液功能的丧失降低了口腔健康，增加了口腔感染、龋齿和牙周病，并显著降低了生活质量。这次会议的成果直接关系到NIDCR的使命--“改善全国的口腔健康”。这次会议将提高我们对外分泌腺发育、生理学和病理生理学所涉及的分子机制的理解，为修复、再生或重组恢复分泌功能的方法提供理论基础。 公共卫生相关性(由申请者提供)：本次会议与健康高度相关，因为它将促进与理解外分泌腺及其分泌物的病理生理学相关的未来重要研究方向的讨论和优先次序。重点是人类疾病导致外分泌腺功能障碍的分子机制，如干燥综合征、干眼症、胰腺炎和辐射导致的组织损伤，以及预防腺体损伤和/或再生腺体的策略。会议还将重点讨论唾液分泌物作为人类疾病诊断工具的问题，如癌症和自身免疫性疾病。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal seeks partial support for the 8th Gordon Research Conference on Salivary Glands and Exocrine Biology to be held February 6-11th, 2011 at the Hotel Galvez, Galveston, Texas. This meeting is highly significant as it is the preeminent multi-disciplinary conference in the salivary gland and exocrine biology fields, and brings together established investigators, both basic and translational, with promising junior scientists and experts from associated fields. The overall goal of this conference is to bring these investigators together to present their latest unpublished research, and engage in intensive, yet informal, discussions at the frontier of the field in an "off-the-record" fashion. A secondary goal is to facilitate salivary researchers to form collaborations with investigators in complementary fields, including basic, translational and clinical researchers. The first Specific Aim is to promote discussion and prioritization of the important future research directions relevant to understanding the development, physiology, and pathophysiology of salivary glands and other exocrine glands (e.g. lacrimal and pancreas) and their secretions, including state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic advances. A particular feature of the program will be a broadening of focus to include tumor biology, advances in stem/progenitor and iPS cells, salivary diagnostics, glycobiology, and systems biology. A second Specific Aim is to provide a venue for junior Investigators at the Graduate Student, Postdoctoral, and Junior Faculty levels to discuss their current research, and forge scientific interactions including collaborations. This is essential for them to build networks with their peers that may lead to a lifetime of collaboration and scientific achievement, and will stimulate the retention of the most talented junior investigators in the field. The program will be comprised of nine plenary sessions, and include two keynote addresses featuring investigators of international stature, and two poster sessions. The meeting has three major themes, with sessions relating to 1) Molecular mechanisms of development and function, 2) Exocrineopathies, tumors, and genetics of disease, 3) Diagnostics and therapeutics. The long-term goal of this meeting is to incorporate what we learn about development, physiology, and disease, to design treatments for loss of either salivary tissue or glandular function. Saliva plays a critical role in the maintenance of oral health and an irreversible loss of salivary gland function occurs after removal of salivary tumors, after therapeutic radiation of head and neck tumors, as a result of Sjogren's syndrome, and in certain rare genetic syndromes affecting gland development. The loss of salivary function reduces oral health increases oral infections, dental caries, and periodontal disease and significantly decreases quality of life. The outcomes of this conference are directly relevant to NIDCR's mission, "to improve the oral health of the nation". The meeting will improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in exocrine gland development, physiology, and pathophysiology providing a rationale for repair, regeneration, or reengineering approaches to restore secretory function. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE (provided by the applicant): This conference is highly health related in that it will promote discussion and prioritization of the important future research directions pertinent to understanding the pathophysiology of exocrine glands and their secretions. There will be a focus on the molecular mechanism underlying human disease that result in exocrine gland dysfunction, such as Sjogrens syndrome, dry eye, and pancreatitis and tissue damage resulting from irradiation, and strategies to prevent damage and/or regenerate the gland. The meeting will also focus on the use of salivary secretions as a diagnostic tool for human diseases such as cancer and auto immune diseases.