The 2016 LAM Foundation International Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Research Conference will focus on the molecular mechanisms of smooth muscle proliferation and cystic lung destruction that occur in the fatal lung disease of women, Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). This is the nineteenth annual LAM conference, which has evolved from a dedicated family/patient conference to a state of the art scientific meeting for LAM and tuberous sclerosis. The 2016 meeting will be held in Cincinnati, in parallel with the Rare Lung Disease Conference. The basic science sessions will focus on lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic imaging, mTOR signaling, LAM biomarkers and patient centered research designs. More clinically oriented talks will be incorporated into most sessions, to address practical challenges regarding treatment of the disease, issues unique to transplantation of LAM patients and the development of biomarkers and phenotyping approaches for LAM following lessons learned from other diseases. A concurrent patient-oriented seminar series will address key clinical issues for 280 LAM patients and LAM family members who are expected to attend, and will culminate in a summary of scientific sessions by the Basic and Clinical Track Chairs. A half day LAM Foundation Clinic Directors meeting will be convened on the last day of the conference to discuss challenging cases, and set priorities for the network. Each session will be chaired by an expert in the field and will have invited speakers as well as speakers chosen from the pool of submitted abstracts. There has been a conscious effort to attract established investigators from related disciplines who can complement the expertise of the current pool of LAM investigators. Discussion facilitated by a discussion leader will be an important component of all sessions. Outstanding junior investigators will be awarded travel grants based on merit and will be given the opportunity to present their research in platform and poster formats. The goal of this conference is to provide a forum for leading experts to discuss the molecular and cellular basis of LAM, review the clinical management of LAM, to present cutting edge research, to integrate concepts and to identify creative and innovative research directions.
The 2016 LAM Foundation International Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Research Conference is the nineteenth in a long history of collaborative NIH/LAM Foundation conferences. Each year, this multidisciplinary conference draws experts in interstitial lung disease, smooth muscle biology, mTOR signaling, lymphangiogenesis, pathology, radiology and endocrinology. The participation of patients as integral contributors, including roles as speakers, teachers, learners, and fund raisers, is perhaps the most innovative and motivating aspect of this unique meeting.
