The International Copper Meeting has been held biennially for the past 22 years. This overarching goal of this conference is to bridge the gap between basic scientists and clinicians, fostering new collaborative studies and translation of fundamental research to clinical practice. The conference brings together basic scientists, clinicians, and trainees to discuss the latest advances in copper biology, with a focus on the links between copper homeostasis and human disease. Human disorders associated with aberrant copper metabolism include not only the well-studied genetic disorders, Wilson disease and Menkes syndrome, but also rare diseases such as MEDNIK syndrome, ATP7A-related distal motor neuropathy, Huppke-Brendel syndrome, and CCS deficiency. Moreover, copper has been linked to central and peripheral neurological disorders, lipid metabolism and metabolic syndrome, cell proliferation, differentiation, and cancer, and infection and immunity. The conference program includes presentations by a diverse group of invited speakers and speakers selected from submitted abstracts as well as poster presentations. The following sessions have been organized: (1) Inherited disorders of copper metabolism, (2) Copper and disease: therapeutic approaches, (3) Copper in signaling and cancer, (4) Copper and mitochondria, (5) Copper import and export, (6) Copper and neurodegenerative disease, (7) Copper trafficking and storage, (8) Copper enzymes, and (9) Copper in pathogenesis and the immune response. The schedule is designed to provide maximal informal interactions among participants. The conference organizers represent the extreme basic and clinical ends of the research spectrum, and together have a deep base of expertise in the field.
The 12th International Copper Meeting will cover recent developments in the field of copper biology with a focus on the links between copper homeostasis and human diseases. A combination of invited talks, talks selected from submitted abstracts, and poster presentations will provide a unique forum for basic scientists, clinicians, and trainees to share data and establish collaborations.
