This application is on behalf of the Society for Inherited Metabolic Disorders (SIMD) to request travel support to permit young US investigators to attend the annual meeting of the SIMD in Lake Lanier, Georgia, March 13-15, 1999. Inborn errors of intermediary metabolism (IEMs) are increasingly recognized as causal to mental retardation, neuromuscular disease, cardiac disorders, hepatic and renal dysfunction, arthritis, diabetes, growth failure, and blindness. These conditions strike infants and young children and thus affect young families. Research into the causes and mechanisms of these inborn errors of metabolism improved diagnosis and has led to effective treatment for many of these conditions, but there is much left to do. This research has also led to substantive increases in our knowledge of the basic science of intermediary metabolism, signal transduction, central nervous system function, intracellular targeting, and basic genetic mechanisms. This increase in knowledge is essential to maintain progress in innovative therapies for these severe disorders. For the US to remain pre-eminent in this important area of research and clinical application, it is essential that young investigators have the opportunity to participate in the SIMD meeting, where they can share their work and contribute to new collaborative projects. The unparalleled advances in the understanding of the molecular and genetic basis of IEMs and the continuing application of this knowledge to clinical situations demands the participation, development, and encouragement of young US investigators.
