This proposal requests partial support for the Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar on Bioelectrochemistry to be held in Barga, Italy between June 30 to July 6, 2012. The meeting theme is """"""""The body electric"""""""". The broad goal of the conference is to draw a direct line from a detailed understanding of the complex membrane in the electric field to exciting new clinical applications with electrochemotherapy, gene electrotransfer, as well as wound healing and diagnostic applications.
The specific aim of this meeting is to convene 38 cross-disciplinary speakers and discussion leaders representing the forefront of research into electric field/tissue interactions with a total of 140 participants for in depth discussions during 9 focused sessions. As a particular feature, a Gordon Research Seminar, intended for young researchers to meet and present their results in the 24 hours before the actual Gordon Conference starts, is envisaged. A total of 50 postdoctoral fellows, clinical fellows, and Ph.D. students are anticipated to attend th seminar. The conference will commence with a strong team of speakers discussing interactions between the cell membrane and electric fields as they pertain to cellular development. Sessions to follow include those on probe and sensor development to follow consequences of electric fields on cells and tissues. Subsequent sessions focus on applied electric fields and their use for gene and drug delivery. A panel of researchers and doctors involved in clinical trials on electroporation based therapies (such as electrochemotherapy and gene electrotransfer) will bridge the discussion from basic science to actual clinical application. Finally, new and exciting data on the understanding of the function of weak electric fields will lead to discussions on their use for diagnostic purposes and in the treatment of cancer, in wound healing, and other diseases.
The Conference, ongoing for the past 30 years, focuses on the interactions of membranes, cells, and organisms with electric fields, with a special interest i those involved in diagnosis and treatment of disease, including cancer, pulmonary, neural, genetic disorders, and chronic wounds. In high voltage fields, cell permeabilization can occur which can be used to load cells with chemotherapy or DNA, whereas in weak electric fields, cells may respond to directional cues and this can be used in wound healing. By emphasizing basic mechanisms revealed by multidisciplinary studies involving engineering, chemistry, materials science, imaging, cell biology, physiology, and medicine, in an atmosphere fostering the free and open exchange of ideas, the Conference hopes to accelerate optimal design of drug therapies and other interventions to ease the burden these disease states place on the nation's public health.
| Dean, David A (2013) Cell-specific targeting strategies for electroporation-mediated gene delivery in cells and animals. J Membr Biol 246:737-44 |
