Billions of dollars are spent annually in the United States on musculoskeletal diseases. Diseases of muscle and bone in childhood can ravage any hopes of a normal life and aging diseases of muscle and bone results in muscle and bone loss, the conditions known as sarcopenia and osteoporosis. Traditionally, bone and muscle have been studied separately. Whereas some researchers have studied both tissues, the norm is to focus exclusively on one or the other. As a tight association exists between muscle and bone throughout development, growth and aging, we are proposing to bring together both muscle and bone researchers to study interactions between these two tissues. A topical meeting that was held in July 2012 to focus on bone and muscle interactions was a success, drawing 270 attendees. To maintain and increase the momentum generated by this topical meeting we plan to dedicate a day before the ASBMR 2013 Annual Meeting to the most recent cutting edge research being made in the muscle field.
The specific aims to be accomplished by this meeting are 1) To present cutting edge research in muscle biology focusing on the cells of muscle, muscle function beyond contraction, and development of therapeutics and clinical applications for muscle wasting and disease, 2) To begin to identify areas in musculoskeletal research that would be significantly advanced through collaboration between muscle and bone researchers. This will be accomplished by requesting input from the speakers, chairs and attendees in a survey following the meeting. Each session will be summarized by the session co-chairs and posted on the ASBMR website and 3) To provide a forum for facilitating new interactions and future collaborations between muscle and bone researchers. The symposium will provide opportunities for interactions between investigators at the two poster sessions and during lunch.
These specific aims will be accomplished by inviting internationally known muscle researchers to present their latest data on the cells of muscle, the functions of muscle beyond contractility, and the therapeutics and clinical treatments for muscle disease. Attendees at this meeting will be encouraged to attend the ASBMR 2013 Annual Meeting and Annual Meeting attendees will be encouraged to attend this one-day symposium with the aim to generate new ideas in muscle-bone interactions and crosstalk leading to the establishment of new collaborations. Discussion will continue on themes generated from the topical meeting such as whether establishing a combined research field that integrates both muscle and bone physiology is feasible. The ultimate goal of the symposium is to generate a better understanding of muscle and bone interactions in order to identify and implement new therapeutic strategies that will enhance and maintain musculoskeletal health.
Billions of dollars are spent annually in the United States on musculoskeletal diseases. Diseases of muscle and bone in childhood can ravage any hopes of a normal life and aging diseases of muscle and bone results in muscle and bone loss, the conditions known as sarcopenia and osteoporosis. Traditionally, bone and muscle have been studied separately. As a tight association exists between muscle and bone throughout development, growth and aging, we are proposing a symposium to bring together internationally known muscle researchers and bone researchers to study the interactions between these two tissues. Scheduled one day prior to the ASBMR 2013 Annual Meeting, the symposium will build on the momentum generated from the ASBMR 2012 Topical Meeting on Bone and Skeletal Muscle Interactions. Symposium attendees will be encouraged to attend the ASBMR 2013 Annual Meeting and Annual Meeting attendees will be encouraged to attend this one-day symposium with the aim to facilitate and allow individuals who generally have a major focus on bone biology but are interested in muscle, to incorporate new ideas into their research. The ultimate goal of the meeting is to generate a better understanding of muscle and bone interactions in order to identify and implement new therapeutic strategies that will enhance and maintain musculoskeletal health.
