Symposium- Advances in Stem Cell Transplantation

简介（由申请人提供）：1992年，加州大学圣地亚哥分校在圣地亚哥发起了一年一度的国际研究研讨会。自1998年以来，该项目（现在由海德堡大学联合主办）更换了地点，每隔一年在德国举办一次。2003年的课程将在加州圣地亚哥举行，学员将获得CME学分。这次会议的繁荣是因为它是基于来自学术界和生物医学/工业界的科学家和临床医生之间分享的创新思想的交流。干细胞技术不断发展，造血细胞移植成为各种恶性和遗传性疾病的标准治疗方法。在过去，大多数成功的移植是在55岁以下的患者中进行的。目前的进展已经大大扩大了这些手术的安全性，因此非清髓性移植可以相对安全地用于75岁以下的患者。认识到免疫系统在控制恶性疾病中的重要性，免疫治疗的重大进展不断被报道。造血干细胞疗法为证明其疗效提供了一个平台。非清髓性移植可能允许干细胞移植的创新方法，包括串联自体移植以实现细胞减少，然后进行非清髓性异体移植以实现异体细胞的免疫治疗效果。干细胞生物学领域的一个令人兴奋的发展是观察到造血干细胞可能能够反分化为其他组织类型。造血干细胞分化为肝细胞、肌细胞、神经元、上皮细胞和内皮细胞的报道在国际上引起了强烈的兴趣。这些发现表明，造血干细胞通过帮助受损组织的再生，可能是治疗多种疾病的重要工具。鉴于目前全国对干细胞研究和临床应用的争论，造血干细胞在再生医学中的潜在作用具有深远的重要性。支持治疗的进步，包括真菌病和移植物抗宿主病的诊断和治疗，极大地促进了干细胞移植越来越成功的结果。这些问题和其他问题构成了2003年5月举行的第11届国际干细胞移植研讨会的主要焦点。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In 1992, The University of California San Diego initiated this annual international research symposium in San Diego. Since 1998, the program [now jointly sponsored by the University of Heidelberg], alternated locations so that it is held every other year in Germany. The 2003 program is scheduled in San Diego, CA, where participants receive CME credit. This meeting flourishes because it is based on the exchange of innovative ideas shared among scientists and clinicians from academia and the biomedical/industrial community. Stem cell technology has evolved, with hematopoietic cell transplantation becoming standard therapy for various malignant and hereditary diseases. In the past, most successful transplants were conducted in patients under the age of 55 years. Current advances have significantly broadened the safety of these procedures, so that non-myeloablative transplants can be performed with relative safety in patients up to 75 years of age. Recognizing the importance of the immune system in controlling malignant disease, major advances continue to be reported in immunotherapy. Hematopoietic stem cell therapy provides a platform on which to demonstrate its efficacy. Non myeloablative transplants may permit innovative approaches to stem cell transplantation including tandem autologous transplantation to achieve cytoreduction followed by non-myeloablative allogeneic transplants to achieve the immunotherapeutic effect of the allogeneic cells. An exciting development in the field of stem cell biology has been the observation that hematopoietic stem cells may be capable of trans-differentiation into other tissue types. Reports of hematopoietic stem cells differentiating into hepatocytes, myocytes, neurons, and epithelial and endothelial cells have stimulated intense interest internationally. These findings suggest that hematopoietic stem cells may be important tools for the treatment of a variety of disease conditions by aiding in the repopulating of damaged tissues. Given the current national debate on stem cell research and clinical applications, the potential role of hematopoietic stem cells in regenerative medicine has profound importance. Advances in supportive care, including the diagnosis and treatment of fungal disease and graft vs. host disease, contribute greatly to the increasingly successful outcomes of stem cell transplantation. These issues and others form the major focus on the 11th International Stem Cell Transplantation symposium to be held in May 2003.