2014 Mammalian Reproduction Gordon Research Conference

描述（由申请人提供）：在包括美国和加拿大在内的发达国家，不孕不育是一个影响大约12-15%夫妇的问题，其中很大一部分是基于未知原因（特发性不孕）。与此同时，全世界对人口控制和计划生育的需求和愿望仍然处于历史最高水平，这是美国和加拿大的优先事项。此外，生殖系统疾病（如卵巢癌、宫颈癌、子宫癌、睾丸癌或前列腺癌、子宫内膜异位症、多囊卵巢综合征等）给美国医疗保健系统带来了巨大的负担。综上所述，这些因素影响到北美人口的很大一部分，因此转化为该区域非常重要的财政、政治和文化优先事项。提高对生殖系统的总体认识，以及这些系统的具体方面，包括性腺（睾丸和卵巢）、生殖细胞（生精细胞和生卵细胞）、男性和女性生殖道以及早期胚胎，代表着最有希望发现突破的途径，这些突破将产生不育或生殖系统疾病的新解决方案，或发展新的避孕方法。新的戈登哺乳动物生殖研究会议旨在汇集生殖生物学和生殖医学多个领域的基础和转化研究专家。讨论的主题将包括生殖组织的命运决定和发育、表观遗传编程和生殖、干细胞和生殖、环境对生殖功能的影响、怀孕和生育、不育和避孕、男性生殖道、基因组学和生殖系统方法，以及由对生殖生物学/医学领域做出持久贡献的科学家组成的创始人论坛。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Infertility is a problem that affects approximately 12-15% of couples in developed countries including the United States and Canada, and a significant portion of these cases are based on unknown causes (idiopathic infertility). At the same time, the need and desire for population control and family planning remain at an all-time high throughout the world and represent priorities in the US and Canada. In addition, diseases of the reproductive systems (e.g., ovarian, cervical, uterine, testicular or prostate cancer, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and many others) impose a large burden on the US healthcare system. Taken together, these considerations impact a large proportion of the population in North America and therefore translate into very significant financial, political and cultural priorities in this region. Enhanced knowledge of the reproductive systems in general, and specific aspects of these systems including the gonads (testes and ovaries), the germ cells (spermatogenic and oogenic), the male and female reproductive tracts, and early embryos, represent the most promising avenue to the discovery of breakthroughs that will yield novel solutions to infertility or reproductive system diseases, or toward the development of novel methods of contraception. The new Gordon Research Conference on Mammalian Reproduction is designed to bring together experts in basic and translational research in multiple areas of reproductive biology and reproductive medicine. Topics to be discussed will include fate determination and development of reproductive tissues, epigenetic programming and reproduction, stem cells and reproduction, environmental effects on reproductive functions, pregnancy and par tuition, infertility and contraception, male reproductive tract, genomics and systems approaches to reproduction, and the founders' forum featuring scientists who have made lasting contributions to the field of reproductive biology/medicine.