The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is composed of specialised endothelium which physically separates the central nervous system from brain microvasculature, and prevents movement of many substances... More > between the two. Only a very limited number of molecules are able to cross the BBB including those that are lipid soluble, those for which there are specific transport systems and small molecular weight molecules (below about 500 Daltons), making drug delivery to the brain a real challenge. The aim of this meeting was to provide an update on BBB endothelial cell (patho)physiology and function and to discuss novel approaches CNS drug delivery. Meeting's Chair: Dr Charlotte Lawson, Royal Veterinary College, UK.< Less
There are many physical factors that are often taken for granted during the culture of cells, including the topography and nature of the substrate, oxygen tension, temperature, etc. Furthermore, the... More > addition of exogenous factors to the culture medium and the development of co-culture models are of importance to more closely mimic the conditions cells experience in vivo. The aim of this symposium was to therefore recognise that the control of cell differentiation requires an in-depth understanding of the growth conditions and signals cells require in order to differentiate in a particular manner. This was exemplified by a carefully selected panel of speakers who will share their experiences of controlling cell growth and differentiation using a range of alternative approaches.< Less
Protein synthesis is a three-stage process, consisting of initiation, elongation and termination. The final stage of gene expression involves numerous cellular proteins and RNAs. The initiation step... More > is the primary focus for regulation. Translation initiation on the majority of cellular mRNAs is mediated by a mechanism involving recognition of the 5’ terminal cap-structure (m7GpppN). However, a different mechanism, termed internal initiation, was first shown to occur on certain uncapped viral mRNAs. An internal ribosome entry site (IRES) element present within the 5’ untranslated region (UTR) of the viral RNA directs initiation of protein synthesis at an internal position hundreds of nucleotides downstream from the 5’ terminus. IRES elements are highly structured and position the ribosome at, or just upstream of, the initiation codon. IRES elements have been found in certain cellular mRNAs; these generally encode proteins involved in apoptosis, cell cycle regulation or stress responses.< Less
“The main goal of this meeting was to get together clinical and basic immunologists trying to gather insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of human diseases and immunotherapy. Due to the... More > limitations of the human system, these investigations often rely on the use of animal models developing spontaneous diseases. In this meeting we evaluated the pros and cons of some of the most used and valuable animal models of disease and some new models, which will open new therapeutic ways to treat human diseases”. Dr Sonia Quaratino, Reader in Immunology, Cancer Research UK Clinical Centre, University of Southampton< Less
“The diversity of T cell subsets and functions makes it imperative that they can be identified,
characterised, propagated, traced in vivo and their function elucidated effectively. This one
day... More > EuroSciCon meeting provided the ideal opportunity to hear both the commercial
companies presenting new techniques and academics highlighting their latest findings in this
area. Similarly, there were opportunities throughout the day for the audience to interact with these speakers and discuss their results in an informal setting." Chair- Dr Catherine Derry, Science Communicator< Less
“Nitric oxide (NO), generated by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS) plays a key role in a diverse range of physiological and pathophysiological conditions within the cardiovascular, immune,... More > reproductive and nervous systems. Since NO is a small, diffusible, highly reactive free radical with a short half-life, and is present in low concentrations, real-time detection of NO is extremely difficult. This meeting examined methods used to detect and visualise NO-producing cells. Furthermore, direct and indirect techniques used to measure NO were examined, including among others, the measurement of NOS enzymatic activity, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and NO-sensitive electrodes. Finally, tools that facilitate NO research, such as NOS inhibitors will be examined”. Meeting's Chair: Dr Nicholas Warrick – University of Oxford< Less
"Plant biotechnology offers an unprecendented opportunity to produce modern, recombinant pharmaceutical proteins at scale, quickly and at low cost. In essence, a “low-tech high... More > technology”, it has the potential to address many of the global health issues that cannot be solved using conventional technologies. This meeting followed on from the first Molecular Farming meeting in January 2006, and visited the latest advances and enabling technologies, and reviewed the progress that is being made towards the first commercial products." Chair: Professor Julian Ma, St Georges Hospital, University of London, UK.< Less
The innate immune system employs pattern recognition receptors in order to identify pathogen associated motifs or signatures. The main family of pattern recognition receptors are the Toll-like... More > receptor family. Members of the TLR family are able to sense a wide range of motifs and trigger innate immune responses. This meeting bought together experts in the field of innate immunity covering different members of the TLR family as well as different microbial ligands. Meeting’s Chairs: Dr Martha Triantafilou and Dr Kathy Triantafilou, University of Sussex, UK.< Less
Dendritic cells (DC) continue to provoke much interest amongst immunologists by virtue of their key role in a number of aspects of the immune response. This meeting addressed some of these and... More > covered topics such as: types of DC, DC markers and maturation, the importance of DC in innate and adaptive immunity and their use in immunotherapy. There were opportunities for speakers, audience and commercial companies to interact throughout the day. Meeting’s Chair: Dr Catherine Derry, Science Communicator.< Less
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