The PI has been instrumental in setting up a roundtable discussion on the timeliness of initiating clinical studies with omega-3 fatty acids in the field of immune, autoimmune and inflammatory disorders in the framework of a theme session on """"""""Lipids in Immune Function"""""""" at the 5th Congress of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids, at the ISSFAL 2002 """"""""Dietary Fats and Health,"""""""" May 7-11, 2002, Montreal, Canada. This I-day session will be held on May 10, 2002. The purpose of the session is: I) To facilitate scientific communication and exchange of ideas between U .S. researchers and other participants in the area of essential fatty acids (EFAs) in immune-mediated diseases; 2) To identify and formulate recommendations to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for planning preventive or therapeutic intervention trials with omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) supplementation in the areas covered by the session; 3) To request partial support for three invited U.S. scientists, the PI and four U.S. graduate students to the l-day session and the ISSFAL Congress. The areas included in the scope of this application are: a) studies on the influences of omega-3 PUFA on cellular signaling processes, transcription factors, and gene expression for cytokines, cytokine receptors and adhesion molecules; b) effects of omega-6 fatty acid supplementation on the immune response in patients with multiple sclerosis; c) immunomodulation by n-3 PUFA and the mechanism by which long-chain n-3 PUFA (such as EPA and DHA) exert their immunomodulatory effect; d) dietary n-3 PUFA in the treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis; e) the effects of n-3 and other nutritional factors on allograft rejection; 1) the potential positive effect of n-3 PUFA in total parenteral nutrition of gastrointestinally disabled patients. The applicants request support for travel and subsistance costs to ensure that recommendations for clinical studies are developed in this special session that includes, for the fIrst time, a roundtable discussion of the type described above.
