International NGF Meeting on Neurotrophic Factors in Health and Disease

描述（由申请人提供）：神经营养因子是强效生长因子，其特征首先在于其在发育期间调节神经元生长、存活和分化的能力。有许多证据表明，神经营养因子和GDNF家族在抑郁症、成瘾和其他精神疾病以及多种神经退行性疾病（包括肌萎缩性侧索硬化症和阿尔茨海默病）的病理生理学中起重要作用。BDNF水平的变化影响海马功能、突触传递和学习记忆。此外，最近的证据表明，BDNF是亨廷顿氏病和阿尔茨海默氏病的病因学中的关键组分。在过去的十年中，很明显，这些蛋白质显示出显着的影响突触传递和高阶行为和电路的形成。以神经生长因子家族及其受体为代表的神经营养因子现在在神经科学和神经病学和精神病学的临床学科中得到了广泛的研究。在芬兰赫尔辛基举行的下一届国际神经生长因子会议的目的是提供一个论坛，交流神经营养因子研究的新成果和方法，并将人类遗传学、细胞生物学和神经精神病学的不同学科聚集在一起。这一领域的基础研究结果与神经退行性疾病的治疗有关，如帕金森病和阿尔茨海默病，以及癌症和神经精神疾病。请求提供支助，以支付会议主要发言人和讨论牵头人的登记费、食宿费和差旅费。 公共卫生相关性：自1986年以来，国际神经生长因子会议为学生、博士后研究员、科学家和临床医生之间的科学交流提供了一个开放的机制。这些会议激发了许多新的发现，包括新的神经营养因子和受体的发现，并吸引了新一代的科学家进入该领域。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Neurotrophic factors are potent growth factors that were first characterized for their ability to regulate neuronal growth, survival and differentiation during development. There are many lines of evidence indicating that neurotrophins and the GDNF family, play an important role in the pathophysiology of depression, addiction and other psychiatric disorders, as well as a wide number of neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Changes in the levels of BDNF influence hippocampal function, synaptic transmission and learning and memory. Moreover, recent evidence indicates that BDNF is a key component in the etiology of Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases. During the past decade, it is clear that these proteins display remarkable effects upon synaptic transmission and higher order behavior and the formation of circuits. Neurotrophic factors exemplified by the NGF family and their receptors are now intensely studied throughout the neurosciences and the clinical disciplines of neurology and psychiatry. The intent of the next International NGF meeting in Helsinki, Finland is to provide a forum to exchange new results and methodologies in the study of neurotrophic factors and to bring diverse disciplines of human genetics, cell biology and neuropsychiatry together. Findings from basic research in this field have relevance to the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, as well as cancer and neuropsychiatric disorders. Support is requested to defray the registration, room and board and travel for the principal speakers and discussion leaders of the meeting. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Since 1986, the International NGF meetings have provided an open mechanism for scientific exchange between students, postdoctoral fellows, scientists and clinicians. The meetings have stimulated many new findings, including the discovery of new neurotrophic factors and receptors, and attracted a whole new generation of scientists to the field.