2008 Basement Membranes Gordon Research Conference

描述（申请人提供）：提案摘要本申请要求部分资金支持2008年地下室膜戈登研究会议，将于6月22日至27日在比德福德的新英格兰大学举行，这将是一系列非常成功的会议中的第十四次，这些会议一直是传播关于地下室结构和功能的新想法的主要国际论坛。膜。基底膜是在上皮-间充质界面和间充质细胞周围形成的复杂的三维细胞外结构。它们在大多数组织和器官的组织和功能中起着至关重要的作用，包括肌肉、皮肤、血管、脑、心脏、肺、肾和外周神经。编码基底膜成分的基因突变导致人类严重的遗传性疾病，例如皮肤大疱性表皮病、伴有相关神经缺陷的先天性肌营养不良症以及肾脏的Alport和Pierson综合征。基底膜的获得性缺陷有助于糖尿病微血管疾病和肾病的发病机制，并参与癌细胞的转移。传统上，该会议吸引了来自广泛领域的高级和初级科学家，包括蛋白质和碳水化合物结构，基因表达，细胞和发育生物学，病理学和神经生物学。此外，参与研究和/或治疗涉及基底膜成分的人类疾病的临床医生和科学家也参加了会议。基底膜降解和周转是研究动态过程如血管生成、癌症转移、胚胎植入和乳腺退化的科学家感兴趣的。生物技术行业对基膜在伤口愈合、血管生成、神经再生、炎症和组织修复中的作用也有很大的兴趣。2008年会议将提出一个多样化的混合会议的基础科学的基底膜结构，生物合成，组装，营业额和功能。本课程将讨论脊椎动物和无脊椎动物基底膜功能的比较研究，以及基底膜和细胞外基质及其受体在胚胎发育中的作用。将介绍对基底膜功能的遗传分析和人类基底膜疾病动物模型的产生的研究。基底膜是一种复杂的三维细胞外结构，在大多数组织和器官（包括肌肉、皮肤、血管、脑、心脏、肺、肾和神经）的组织和功能中起着至关重要的作用。编码人类基底膜成分的基因突变导致严重的遗传性疾病，例如皮肤大疱性表皮病、先天性肌营养不良伴神经缺陷和肾脏Alport和Pierson综合征。本次会议将汇集一群不同的优秀研究人员，分享他们在基底膜生物学方面的最新发现，并将带来新的兴奋和合作，推动该领域的发展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): PROPOSAL SUMMARY This application requests partial funding in support of the 2008 Basement Membranes Gordon Research Conference, to be held June 22-27 at the University of New England in Biddeford, ME. This will be the fourteenth in a highly successful series of conferences that have been major international forums for dissemination of new ideas regarding the structure and function of basement membranes. Basement membranes are complex, three-dimensional, extracellular structures formed at epithelial-mesenchymal interfaces and around mesenchymal cells. They play crucial roles in the organization and function of most tissues and organs, including muscle, skin, blood vessels, brain, heart, lung, kidney, and peripheral nerves. Mutations in genes encoding basement membrane components result in severe inherited disorders in humans, e.g. epidermolysis bullosa of skin, congenital muscular dystrophies with associated neural defects, and Alport and Pierson syndromes of kidney. Acquired defects in basement membranes contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic microvascular disease and nephropathy and are involved in metastasis of cancer cells. Traditionally, this conference has attracted both senior and junior scientists from a wide range of fields, including protein and carbohydrate structure, gene expression, cell and developmental biology, pathology, and neurobiology. In addition, it has been attended by clinicians and scientists involved in research and/or treatment of human disorders involving basement membrane components. Basement membrane degradation and turnover are of interest to scientists investigating dynamic processes such as angiogenesis, cancer metastasis, embryo implantation, and mammary gland involution. There has also been substantial interest from the biotechnology industry regarding the roles of basement membranes in wound healing, angiogenesis, nerve regeneration, inflammation, and tissue repair. The 2008 Conference will present a diverse mixture of sessions on the basic science of basement membrane structure, biosynthesis, assembly, turnover, and functions. Comparative studies of basement membrane function in vertebrates and invertebrates and the roles of basement membranes and extracellular matrix and their receptors in embryonic development will be addressed. Studies on the genetic analyses of basement membrane functions and the generation of animal models of human basement membrane disorders will be presented. PROPOSAL NARRATIVE Basement membranes are complex, three-dimensional, extracellular structures that play crucial roles in the organization and function of most tissues and organs, including muscle, skin, blood vessels, brain, heart, lung, kidney, and nerves. Mutations in genes encoding basement membrane components in humans result in severe inherited disorders, e.g. epidermolysis bullosa of skin, congenital muscular dystrophies with neural defects, and Alport and Pierson syndromes of kidney. This conference will bring together a diverse group of outstanding researchers to share their latest findings in basement membrane biology and will lead to new excitement and collaborations that will move the field forward.