The First International Symposium of Transplantation into the mammalian CNS was held at Orenas Castle near Lund, Sweden, on June 18-22, 1984. Scientists throughout the world gathered to review the experimental basis for neural tansplantation and to discuss future directions of what has become a rapidly developing subdiscipline in neurobiology. The Conference provided numerous insights, both retrospective and prospective on the feasibility to nerve cell grafting to reverse neurological deficits in numerous model systems. It also raised provocative questions about the future. We will review new information dealing with transplantation into the primate central nervous system in animal models of Parkinson's disease, for example, and will explore the use of tissue donors alternate to fetuses as a practical approach to therapeutic grafting. New vistas in our understanding of trophic substances and exciting parameters on mechanical and neurochemical guidance of growing axons following transplantation will be explored. Numerous other topics as detailed in the application will serve to balance the meeting with respect to basic understanding of graft host interactions. The Second International Symposium maintains the organizational structure of the first meeting as well as the guiding principles of program selection. It is in part supported by philantropic efforts and a host university, but due to the expansion of the size of the meeting to meet the growth of the discipline, it will be necessary to generate financial assistance beyond that already dedicated to the Conference.
