? The American Society of Nephrology holds a meeting each year at which experts in kidney research and clinical care gather from around the world for 4 days to present their studies on the latest aspects of kidney disease and treatment. During the 2 days immediately prior to that annual meeting, the ASN sponsors a basic science conference for a smaller audience focused on a specific area of current interest to the kidney research community. For 2006, this 2 day conference will be """"""""Stem Cells in Organ Maintenance and Repair,"""""""" and is designed to bring together world experts in stem cell research with young scientists interested specifically in kidney-related research. With this format, members of the kidney research community will be exposed to the latest techniques in adult stem cell research, and develop collaborations with scientists who are recognized experts in the field of stem cell research. The current grant application asks for funds to provide partial financial support to cover the costs of registration and lodging for junior scientists who wish to attend this conference. Our goal is to provide support for young scientists so that they can obtain the knowledge necessary to perform studies that will determine the usefulness of stem cells in treating patients with a variety of kidney diseases. Stem cells have attracted a vast degree of attention and interest in the biomedical research community. This has led to a marked increase in the number of studies being performed around the world examining the role of stem cells in organ maintenance and repair. Due to the present lack of specific information defining stem cells in various organs, and the controversy surrounding the issue of whether or not adult bone marrow stem cells are able to cross organ boundaries and participate in repair of other organs, many of these studies have failed to advance our understanding of the clinical potential of stem cells in human disease, including kidney disease. For this reason the current basic science conference entitled """"""""Stem Cells in Organ Maintenance and Repair"""""""" has been organized to bring together world experts in stem cell research and interested members of the renal research community to facilitate the exchange of information and foster collaborations aimed at developing definitive studies regarding the potential use of stem cells in the treatment of kidney diseases. The speakers will address four general areas: 1) the characteristics that define stem cells, 2) the factors that create a stem cell niche, 3) organ-specific stem cells, and 4) the role of stem cells in organ repair. Our goal is to provide partial financial support for young scientists to attend this meeting in order to ensure that studies proposed to the NIH by these investigators will be designed in a manner that will elucidate the potential use of stem cells in the treatment of kidney diseases. ? ?
