7th World Congress on Itch (WCI)

描述(由申请人提供)：本次会议汇集了来自学术界、倡导者和产业界的研究人员和临床医生，他们对了解瘙痒的基本机制、它对人的影响以及如何最好地管理它有着共同的兴趣。会议的目的是教育、指导和推动该领域向前发展。在过去的五年里，人们对瘙痒及其重要性的认识发生了一场科学革命。这些进展中的许多都是疼痛研究人员将他们的专业知识引导到与疼痛密切相关的新生领域瘙痒的结果。瘙痒不再被认为是一种可以用抗组胺药物治疗的小麻烦。来自神经科学、神经成像、皮肤生物学和广泛的医学领域的研究人员正在合作。仅举几个研究进展的例子，这种协同效应导致确定瘙痒和疼痛对生活质量有同等的负面影响，不同但重叠的感觉神经元群体介导不同刺激产生的瘙痒，组胺非依赖性瘙痒驱动最常见的瘙痒，确定瞬时受体电位(TRP)通道和MASS相关的G蛋白偶联受体(MRGPRs)在介导各种外周瘙痒，胃泌素释放肽(GRP)及其同源受体GRPR在脊髓传递瘙痒传入中的关键作用，脊髓B5-I抑制神经元的鉴定，以及VGLUT2转运体在介导瘙痒中的作用。色氨酸通道抑制剂治疗某些瘙痒的能力已经在临床试验中进行评估。今年3月，NIAMS发布了一份融资机会公告，主题是广泛的瘙痒。在此之前，美国国立卫生研究院在2010年举行了一次关于瘙痒的圆桌会议，几个研究所支持了瘙痒研究。这次会议的主要目的不仅是描述该领域的现状。它是为了推动这一领域向前发展。它将把年轻的调查人员与处于这一前沿的人聚集在一起，并在一个约有200人的紧密互动的环境中将各领域联系起来。十年前由少数人发起的将是第七届世界瘙痒大会(WCI)。瘙痒研究界在亚洲、欧洲和美国平分秋色。大会每隔一年在各自的大陆举行。 具体目标 大会的具体目标如下： 告知、教育和推动瘙痒领域向前发展 确定瘙痒的选择性外周和中枢机制 对包括抑制通路在内的瘙痒选择性神经通路的编码进行批判性研究 检查皮肤、免疫系统和神经系统之间在瘙痒信号中的接口 解决皮肤病和全身疾病中治疗瘙痒的挑战 探讨治疗瘙痒的潜在靶点和新疗法 将该领域的世界领导人聚集在一起，同时： 迎合初级调查人员的学习，出席公开会议并接受指导 因此，会议将讨论以下主要议题和问题： 皮肤和全身状况下瘙痒对生活质量的影响 基于机理的瘙痒分类 与瘙痒有关的感觉方式，包括触摸 艾滋病、肾脏、肝病和癌症之痒 神经性瘙痒 瘙痒与疼痛的外周信号传递：瘙痒感受器、伤害性感受器、A-β纤维、三角洲纤维和C纤维 脊丘脑束和其他通路对瘙痒的中枢信号转导 瘙痒的神经成像 瘙痒中的介质、通道和受体 瘙痒中的细胞因子途径 瘙痒的中枢敏感化 瘙痒的动物模型，包括狗、猴子和老鼠

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This conference brings together researchers and clinicians from academia, advocacy and industry, who have a shared interest in understanding the basic mechanisms of itch, its impact on people, and how it should best be managed. The aims of the conference are to educate, mentor and push the field forward. The last five years has led to a scientific revolution in the understanding of itch and its importance. Many of these advances have resulted from pain researchers directing their expertise to the nascent field of itch, which is closely related to pain. Itch is no longer considered a minor nuisance that can be treated with anti-histamines. Investigators from the fields of neuroscience, neuroimaging, cutaneous biology and broadly across medicine are collaborating. To list but a few examples of research progress, this synergy has resulted in the determination that itch and pain have equal, and negative, effects on quality of life measures, that distinct but overlapping populations of sensory neurons mediate itch from different stimuli, that histamine-independent itch drives most itches, the identification transient receptor potential (TRP) channels and mas-related G-protein coupled receptors (Mrgprs) in mediating various peripheral itches, the critical role of gastrin releasing peptide (GRP) and its cognate receptor GRPR in transmitting afferent itch in the spinal cord, the identification of B5-I inhibitory neurons in the spinal cord, and the role of VGLUT2 transporters in mediating itch. The capacity of TRP channel inhibitors to treat certain itches is already being evaluated in clinical trials. In March of this year, NIAMS issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement, on the topic of itch broadly. This follows an NIH roundtable on itch in 2010 and itch research being supported by several of the Institutes. The main objective of this conference is not only to describe the current status of the field. It is to push the field forward. It is to bring young investigators together with those at the forefront of this and relate fields in a cohesive interacting environment of approximately 200 people. What started with a handful of people a decade ago will be the 7th World Congress on Itch (WCI). The itch research community is equally split between Asia, Europe and the U.S. The Congress is held every other year on the respective continents. Specific Objectives The specific objectives of the conference are as follows:  To inform, educate, and drive the field of itch forward  To identify selective peripheral and central mechanisms for itch  To critically examine the encoding of itch-selective neuronal pathways, including inhibitory pathways  To examine the interface between the skin, immune and nervous systems in itch signaling  To address the challenges in treating itch in skin conditions and systemic diseases  To discuss potential therapeutic targets and new therapies for itch  To bring together world leaders in the field while at the same time:  Cater to junior investigators to learn, present at open sessions and be mentored Accordingly, the conference will address the following principal topics and problems:  The impact of itch on quality of life in cutaneous and systemic conditions  Mechanisms-based classification of itch  Sensory modalities related to itch, including touch  Itch in HIV, kidney, liver disease and cancer  Neuropathic itch  Peripheral signaling of itch versus pain: pruriceptors, nociceptors, A-beta, delta and C-fibers  Central signaling of itch by the spinothalamic tract and other pathways  Neuroimaging of itch  Mediators, channels and receptors in itch  Cytokine pathways in itch  Central sensitization of itch  Animal models of itch, including canines, monkeys and mice