The international Association for Comparative Research on Leukemia and Related Diseases (IACRLRD) with secretariat offices at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, is requesting financial support from the National Cancer Institute for its XVII International Symposium for Comparative Research on Leukemia and Related Diseases. These symposia originally held every two years are now being held annually owing to the significant progress being made in our understanding and control of leukemia. The XVII Symposium will be held at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland with Dr. Maire Mulcahy Vice President of the IACRLRD serving as host and conference co-chairman. Funds are requested for the travel, meeting expenses, and registration fees of invited speakers, session chairpersons, and moderators from the United States. No funds are requested for meeting personnel. The four-day Symposium will be held September 18 through September 21, 1994. It will include a major focus on gene therapy emphasizing progress to date in man and animals and the challenges and opportunities for the future. Topics covered will include harvesting of progenitor cell populations; delivery systems for gene insertion; techniques for gene deletion; the manipulation of specific genes and gene products (e.g. cell death genes, tumor suppressor genes, MHC expression genes, and signal transduction genes); gene marking in transplantation; and gene-directed reversal of chemoresistance. A special session will address the interface of science and society in government regulation and oversight of genetic manipulation. The program will also include sessions on progress in comparative research in leukemia, lymphoma, and AIDS related malignancies in the field of cell biology, molecular biology, virology, immunology, chemical and biologic leukemogenesis, epidemiology, and therapy. Sixteen 2-hour sessions with overviews and in-depth updates of selected topics in each field will be presented. Conjoint poster sessions will supplement the plenary sessions to provide detailed coverage of members research projects. Comparative aspects of mammalian leukemogenesis will be emphasized. This will be accomplished by incorporating relevant animal studies in each session. In addition to gene therapy sessions, sessions will include discussion of apoptosis and differentiation, comparative pharmacology/chemotherapy, drug resistance, immunodeficiencies, molecular aspects of leukemia, retroviral etiology and vaccines. The program has been developed jointly with the Leukemia Society of America (LSA). The Symposium will be of interest to molecular biologists, cell biologists, clinicians caring for patients with leukemia and lymphoma, and scientists and physicians in training. The format will include invited plenary speakers, proffered papers, and abstract presentations. Ample time will be available for informal interaction and discussion. Attendance will be limited to 45 registrants.
