2011 Apoptotic Cell Recognition and Clearance Gordon Research Conference and Gord

描述（由申请人提供）：细胞凋亡或程序性细胞死亡在成年生物早期发育过程中的形态发生以及组织稳态的维持中起着关键作用。细胞凋亡的机制已被深入研究，细胞死亡途径的早期阶段已被相当详细地定义。然而，死亡细胞的命运，一旦参与死亡程序，仍然是完全表征和它们对人类疾病的影响知之甚少。2011年7月16日至22日在缅因州贝茨学院举行的戈登研究会议及相关的凋亡细胞识别与清除戈登研究研讨会将讨论这一问题。在多细胞生物中，经历程序性细胞死亡的细胞通过吞噬作用被清除，吞噬作用是细胞吸收和消化其他细胞的一种生物学事件。濒死细胞的吞噬和清除与细胞死亡本身密切相关，在许多情况下发生在细胞死亡程序完成之前，甚至可以影响整个过程。因此，通过吞噬作用清除细胞是细胞凋亡的最终目的是有争议的。吞噬细胞清除凋亡细胞对于形态发生雕刻器官，通过清除老化或消耗的细胞来更新和通过清除病原体感染或有害细胞来预防疾病至关重要。最近的研究揭示了吞噬的凋亡细胞在免疫系统中的另一个作用。吞噬凋亡细胞的吞噬细胞调节炎症，促进组织修复。此外，凋亡细胞在体内平衡和感染过程中为获得性免疫系统提供了重要的抗原来源。不能及时清除凋亡细胞可导致慢性炎性疾病、自身免疫性疾病、神经变性和癌症的发展。因此，阐明凋亡细胞清除的机制不仅对增加我们对这一过程的基础知识，而且对我们对炎症和免疫疾病的原因的理解以及潜在医学应用的发展都是重要的。每隔一年举行一次的戈登研究会议是凋亡细胞识别和清除领域唯一的定期国际会议。这将是该系列的第五次会议，自2003年以来每两年举行一次会议。会议吸引了来自广泛研究领域的研究人员，包括生物化学，细胞，发育和结构生物学，神经学，免疫学和药理学，旨在解释基本概念以及临床意义。往届会议取得成功，出席率高，评价积极，并就这一主题举行了重要讨论，促进了新范式、合作和进步。然而，仍有一些重要的基本问题有待解决，随着死亡细胞识别的更广泛影响及其在医学应用方面的潜力被发现，这一研究领域迅速发展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Apoptosis or programmed cell death plays a key role in morphogenesis during early development as well as in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis in adult organisms. The mechanisms of apoptosis have been intensely studied, and the early stages of the cell death pathway are defined in considerable detail. However, the fates of dying cells, once death programs are engaged, remain to be fully characterized and their implications for human disease are poorly understood. This Gordon Research Conference and accompanying Gordon Research Seminar on Apoptotic Cell Recognition & Clearance, to be held from July 16-22, 2011 at Bates College, Maine will deal with this issue. In multicellular organisms, cells undergoing programmed cell death are removed through phagocytosis, a biological event in which cells take up and digest other cells. The engulfement and clearance of dying cells is closely linked with cell death itself, and in many cases occurs before the cell death program is complete and can even influence the process. It is therefore arguable that the removal of cells through phagocytosis is the ultimate objective of apoptosis. Phagocytic removal of apoptotic cells is essential for morphogenesis to sculpt organs, renewal by removing aged or spent cells and prevention of disease by clearing pathogen-infected or harmful cells. Recent studies have revealed an additional role for engulfed apoptotic cells in the immune system. Phagocytes that have engulfed apoptotic cells regulate inflammation and promote resolution and tissue repair. In addition, apoptotic cells provide an important source of antigen to the acquired immune system during homeostasis and infection. Failure to promptly clear apoptotic cells can lead to the development of chronic inflammatory disorders, autoimmune diseases, neurodegeneration and cancer. It is therefore important to elucidate the mechanism of apoptotic cell clearance not only for increasing our fundamental knowledge of this process, but also for our understanding of the causes of inflammatory and immune diseases, and the development of potential medical applications. This Gordon Research conference, held every other year, is the only regular international meeting in the field of apoptotic cell recognition and clearance. This will be the fifth meeting in the series, following meetings every other year since 2003. The conference attracts researchers from a wide area of research including biochemistry, cell, developmental and structural biology, neurology, immunology, and pharmacology, and is aimed at explaining basic concepts as well as clinical implications. Previous meetings have been successful, with high attendance and positive evaluations, and have hosted important discussions on this topic which have promoted new paradigms, collaborations and advances. However, there remain important fundamental questions still to be solved, and this area of research has rapidly grown as the wider implications of recognition of dead cells and their potential for medical applications have been uncovered. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Cells that have become harmful to our health, such as virus-infected cells and tumors, are often induced to undergo cell death and become susceptible to removal by immune cells. This process can be manipulated clinically to promote tissue repair or for immunization; however, defects in recognition and removal of dead cells contribute to inflammatory disease and autoimmune disorders. This proposed Gordon Research Conference on Apoptotic Cell Recognition & Clearance will discuss these topics and should lead to medical advances in understanding and treatring a wide range of serious diseases.