Retinal Degeneration Conference

描述(由申请人提供)：本申请是为支持2012年7月16日至21日在德国巴伐利亚州巴德格宁举行的第XVth视网膜变性国际研讨会(RD2012)而提出的资金申请。本次会议是将于2012年7月22日至27日在德国柏林举行的国际眼科研究学会(ISER)第二十九届双年度会议的卫星。RD2012会议将集中讨论先天免疫和后天免疫在视网膜退行性疾病的发生和发展中的作用。最近发现，与免疫系统调节相关的基因突变，特别是天然免疫，导致了75%的老年性黄斑变性(AMD)，这表明免疫系统在这种疾病中发挥着重要作用。事实上，人们越来越多地认识到免疫系统在许多形式的视网膜变性中的积极参与，要么是大多数形式的AMD似乎是主要原因，要么是发生在许多早期发病的视网膜色素变性(RP)的退行性病理阶段。XVth视网膜变性国际研讨会的具体目标是：1.通过提供旅行奖励，促进20名年轻研究人员(包括女性和未被充分代表的少数族裔)在视网膜变性研究中的新兴职业。2.为传播获得性、遗传性和老年性视网膜变性的病理生理机制和新的治疗方法方面的最新进展提供一个论坛。3.创造一个环境，促进基础和临床科学家之间的新思想交流，并为所有种族和社会背景的视觉科学家创造机会，见面并建立研究合作4.组织一个以免疫系统在视网膜退化中的作用为重点的项目。所要求的资金将用于支付20名青年调查员和3名特邀全体讲师的旅费，外加一些适度的行政费用。 与公共卫生相关：这次会议汇集了来自世界各地的顶尖研究人员、临床科学家和眼科医生，在轻松和合作的气氛中讨论他们的研究。旅行奖获得者将有机会与这些杰出的科学家见面和互动，这是其他同类科学会议所不能提供的。有充分的证据表明，这次会议对许多参加会议的年轻科学家的科学生涯产生了深远的影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application is a request for funds to support the XVth International Symposium on Retinal Degeneration (RD2012) to be held in Bad G¿gging, Bavaria, Germany July 16 - 21, 2012. This meeting is a satellite of the XXth Biennial Meeting of the International Society for Eye Research (ISER), to be held in Berlin, Germany July 22 - 27, 2012. The RD2012 meeting will be focused on the role of innate and acquired immunity in the initiation and progression of retinal degenerative diseases. The recent discovery that mutations in genes related to regulation of the immune system, specifically innate immunity, are responsible for 75% of age- related macular degeneration (AMD) demonstrates the important role the immune system plays in this disease. In fact, there is increasing recognition of the active participation of the immune system in many forms of retinal degeneration, either a primarily cause, as appears to be the case in most forms of AMD, or during the degenerative pathological stages that take place in many of the early onset forms of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The Specific Aims of the XVth International Symposium on Retinal Degeneration are: 1. To enhance the emerging careers of 20 young investigators (including women and underrepresented minorities) in retinal degeneration research by providing travel awards. 2. To provide a forum for dissemination of the most recent advances in the state of knowledge on the pathophysiologic mechanisms of acquired, inherited, and age-related retinal degenerations, and new therapeutic approaches. 3. To create an environment that will facilitate the exchange of novel ideas among basic and clinician scientists and generate the opportunity for vision scientists of all ethnic groups and social backgrounds to meet and establish research collaborations 4. To organize a program focused on the role of the immune system in retinal degenerations. The requested funds will support the travel of 20 young investigators and 3 invited plenary lecturers, plus some modest administrative expenses. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This meeting brings together the leading researchers, clinician-scientists, and ophthalmologists from around the world to discuss their research in a relaxed and collegial atmosphere. The travel awardees will have an opportunity afforded by no other scientific meeting of its type to meet and interact with these outstanding scientists. There is ample evidence that this conference has had profound effects on the scientific careers of many of the young scientists who attended.