The New York Academy of Sciences is planning a major three day conference entitled """"""""The 11th International Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America Meeting"""""""" to be held May 14-16, 2007 at the Chicago Renaissance Hotel, Chicago, IL. The conference is being organized by Richard Barohn, MD, Professor and Chair of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center and Henry J. Kaminski, MD, Professor and Vice Chair of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University. Myasthenia gravis (MG) is the best understood autoimmune disorder and serves as a paradigm for understanding autoimmunity as well as the neuromuscular junction, a """"""""model"""""""" synapse. Major progress has been made in defining the molecular apparatus underlying the neuromuscular junction, the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in neurotransmitter release, and the significance of the basal lamina and Schwann cell in maintaining the integrity of neuromuscular junction function. Investigation of MG has provided a paradigm for the study of other disorders of the neuromuscular junction and ion channels. Having served as a model for other autoimmune and synaptic disorders, MG now would benefit from an infusion of expertise from more common diseases, which over the last two decades have been more intensely studied. Since the International Conference has attracted the thought leaders in the MG field, such cross talk would benefit the field immensely and advance discovery in the field. The last four years have shown an explosion on the clinical front. The MG clinical scientific community has appreciated a need for increasing rigor in performance of therapeutic trials, which has prompted the evaluation of methods in clinical assessments. Specific objectives of this conference are to: 1) Provide a forum for basic and clinical investigators to explore new findings in MG research; 2) Incorporate expertise from investigators outside the MG field to enhance investigative approaches to myasthenia gravis and related disorders; 3) Allow junior and senior members of research groups to attend to foster the establishment of new relationships and future collaborations in the field. Proceedings of the conference will be made available in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, as well as in an online multimedia electronic meeting report. Myasthenia gravis (MG) is the most prevalent disorder of neuromuscular communication, with an estimated 36,000 affected individuals in the US alone. As the best characterized autoimmune disease, MG serves as a model for synaptic disorders as well as autoimmune disease. The 11th International Myasthenia Gravis Meeting will provide a forum for the presentation of the most up-to-date findings in the areas of MG and other related diseases, exploring topics in basic science, translational research and clinical science, including advances in therapies and treatment strategies. ? ? ?
