Molecular Aspects of Myeloid Development and Leukemia

描述（由申请人提供）： 这是一份R13会议资助申请，用于支持两年一次的国际研讨会“骨髓干细胞发育和白血病的分子方面”。“该讲习班是自1995年以来连续举办的第六次讲习班，定于2005年5月1日至4日在马里兰州安纳波利斯的历史旅馆举行。讲习班通常邀请约40名发言者，参加者总数约为100人。白血病是一种造血干细胞的疾病，其经历分化阻滞和失控的扩增。该研讨会的重点是位于白血病易位断点的基因，如AML 1，TEL，RAR α和MLL，以及由于表观遗传改变而异常表达或由于突变而功能异常的基因。毫无疑问，这些因子的突变或异常水平与白血病的发生和进展有因果关系。小鼠基因靶向研究和患者样本的序列分析表明，这些相同的基因对正常造血至关重要。目前认为，这些因子的功能在造血分化中相互交叉且相互依赖（组合）。然而，在这些重叠的网络中，它们的活动的复杂性使得任何一个研究者都很难获得广泛的科学和临床观点，以充分了解它们在白血病发病机制中的独特作用。这些两年一次的研讨会的总体目标是汇集研究人员谁在补充干细胞生物学和骨髓生成方面的专业知识-从正常骨髓生成到髓性白血病。来自大西洋两岸的基础和临床科学家每两年聚集一次，在安纳波利斯的一个非常密切和非正式的环境中进行互动和讨论他们的最新发现。该研讨会汇集了具有特定造血调节因子（如转录因子）专业知识的基础研究科学家，以及在机制和治疗方面从事白血病研究的临床研究人员，包括那些专注于转录因子，信号转导和通过遗传或表观遗传机制失调的细胞周期组分的研究人员。这一两年期讲习班的主要目的是通过非正式介绍和广泛讨论交流信息。它包括这一领域的年轻研究人员（研究生、博士后研究员）的参与，他们占参与者的大多数，并有机会以简短的口头演讲或海报的形式介绍他们的工作。研讨会的参与者经常交流，从研讨会上，他们实现了调节正常造血的关键步骤和因素，以及它们在白血病临床环境中的影响和潜在相关性的更好理解。这个研讨会独特地汇集了临床研究人员，基础科学家，年轻的研究人员和临床研究人员，真正促进科学交流的方式，在思想的开放交流，未发表的发现，合作研究的发展，以及在干细胞和骨髓发育基础研究的科学家和参与转化研究，白血病治疗和疗法的科学家之间的交叉受精。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is an R13 conference grant application for support of the biennial international workshop on "Molecular Aspects of Myeloid Stem Cell Development and Leukemia." The workshop is the 6th in this continuing series since 1995 and is scheduled for May 1-4, 2005, at the Historic Inns of Annapolis, MD. The workshop routinely hosts about 40 invited speakers, with a total of approximately 100 participants. Leukemia is a disease of hematopoietic stem cells that undergo a block in differentiation and a deregulated expansion. The workshop focuses on genes located at translocation breakpoints in leukemia such as AML1, TEL, RARalpha, and MLL to name a few, as well as on genes that are aberrantly expressed due to epigenetic alterations or function abnormally due to mutation. There is no doubt that mutations or abnormal levels of these factors are causally related to the development and progression of leukemia. Murine gene-targeting studies and sequence analyses of patient samples have shown the critical importance of these same genes for normal hematopoiesis. It is currently believed that the functions of these factors intersect and are interdependent (combinatorial) in hematopoietic differentiation. However, the complexity of their activities within these overlapping networks makes it very difficult for any single investigator to gain a wide scientific and clinical perspective so as to fully understand their unique roles in leukemia pathogenesis. The overall goal of these biennial workshops is to bring together investigators who have expertise in complementing aspects of stem cell biology and myelopoiesis - from normal myelopoiesis to myeloid leukemias. Both basic and clinician scientists from both sides of the Atlantic have come together biennially for the opportunity to interact and discuss their latest findings in a very close and informal setting in Annapolis. The workshop brings together basic research scientists with expertise in specific hematopoietic regulators, e.g. transcription factors, and clinician investigators who work on leukemia in terms of both mechanisms and therapeutics, including those focused on transcription factors, signal transducers and cell cycle components dysregulated through genetic or epigenetic mechanisms. A primary aim of this biennial workshop is the exchange of information through informal presentations and extensive discussions. It includes the participation of young investigators (graduate students, postdoctoral fellows) in this field who comprise the majority of participants and have the opportunity to present their work as short oral talks or posters. Participants of the workshop routinely communicate that, from the workshop, they achieve a better understanding of the critical steps and factors that regulate both normal hematopoiesis and their impact and potential relevance in the clinical setting in terms of leukemia. This workshop uniquely brings together clinician investigators, basic scientists, young investigators, and clinical research fellows in a manner that truly promotes scientific communication in terms of open exchange of ideas, unpublished findings, development of collaborative research, and cross-fertilization between scientists doing basic research on stem cell and myeloid development and those involved in translational research, leukemia treatment and therapeutics.