? ? This proposal requests support for a Gordon Research conference on Thiol-based Redox Regulation and Signaling to be held between May 25-30, 2008 at Il Ciocco in Italy. The field of redox biology is key to the biomedical sciences as an increasing number of cellular functions and impairments are found linked to redox processes. Central to redox control are systems that utilize thiols to perform redox transactions. Thiol-containing proteins are major antioxidants in cells and reversible oxidation of thiols in various phosphatases, kinases and transcription factors links thiol-based redox chemistry to phosphorylation-based signaling, apoptosis and gene regulation. Dysregulation of thiol-based redox homeostasis has major implications for the progression of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other complex diseases and is a significant component of the process of aging. This conference is in its second cycle after a very successful inaugural meeting in the U.S. in 2006. The chair and vice-Chair for this meeting are a basic and a physician scientist respectively and representative of the biologists, chemists and clinicians, working on varied aspects of the field. This conference provides a venue for the free exchange of ideas and methodologies (the latter often limits progress in this particular field). While the thematic area of the conference is broad-based, its relevance to cardiovascular diseases is well represented programmatically. By combining investigators with varied expertise for e.g. in biophysical methods, bioinformatics and animal model systems, with physicians, the meeting is expected to further stimulate collaborations and catalyze scientific progress. (End of Abstract) ? ? ?
