This application is to request support for the 2020 Gordon Research Seminar (GRS; May 16-17) and Conference (GRC; May 17-22) on Myelin to be held in Barga, Italy. The goal of these conferences is to provide an active forum for exchange of results at the cutting edge of myelin development, physiology, pathology, and treatment. This meeting uniquely focuses on central and peripheral myelin and is timely given the growing interest in myelin biology and human disease and major advances since the last meeting in 2018. These advances include: a better understanding of myelinating glial cell heterogeneity, new insights into myelinating glial cell responses to injury, a growing recognition of the importance of glial-glial interactions in myelination (in addition to neuron-glial interactions), and paradigm shifting breakthroughs in our understanding of how remyelination may occur in multiple sclerosis. Moreover, it has become clearer over the past two years that myelinating glia are exquisitely sensitive to perturbation and may be causative for some pathologies in neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer?s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Together, the 2020 Myelin GRC ?Myelin: Translational Science of Myelin ? from Glial Biology to Repair? and the GRS ?Myelin: Dynamics of Myelin Formation, Function, and Repair? will: 1) assemble an international meeting of academic scientists, clinician/scientists, and industry scientists engaged in studies of myelination and myelin repair; 2) discuss new and exciting developments in the field by selecting presenters who will largely present unpublished data and by reserving presentation slots for talks selected from the abstracts; 3) promote collaborative interactions to accelerate the pace of discovery to treat diseases of myelin; 4) provide an opportunity for junior attendees of diverse backgrounds to present their work, interact with other scientists, and promote collaborative interactions among all participants.
The critical importance of myelin for proper nervous system function is underscored by the devastating symptoms in diseases in which it is disrupted, including multiple sclerosis, leukodystrophies, and peripheral neuropathies that affect millions of Americans. It is also becoming ever clearer that myelination represents a novel mechanism modulating neural plasticity, and myelinating glia represent a major resource for the development of novel therapeutics to treat diseases of the nervous system and to promote repair following trauma. The 2020 Myelin Gordon Research Conference and Seminar will bring together experts and trainees in the field of myelinating glial cell biology and repair to provide a forum to highlight recent advances in the field.
