: This R13 renewal application seeks support for the 11th~13th International Symposium on Alcoholic Liver and Pancreatic Disease (ALPD) and Cirrhosis to be held in 2016, 2018, and 2020. From 2011, the R13 grant mechanism supported the symposia held in Japan, China, India, and Hungary and to be held in Brazil in September of 2015. These meetings were represented by 10-15 nations and attracted the attendance of 257-475 per event. Total 236 speakers, discussants, and moderators have been assembled; 226 posters were presented; and 83 travel awards were offered to bring young scientists and students to this international platform. Each symposium has resulted in publication of a special issue encompassing review articles on the topics covered by the speakers with total 96 articles published in supplement issues. The meetings have catalyzed active international collaborations among investigators with complementary expertise and resources, resulted in 11 peer-review publications and acquisition of three grants, and led to major advancements of science in the field of ALPD and cirrhosis. Overall specific aims of the symposia remain to be: 1) to promote international collaboration among different disciplines and nations; 2) to share the complementary resources and expertise available in various countries, thus adding synergy and unique ideas together; 3) to encourage young investigators to interact at an international level; and 4) to promote dissemination to professional and lay communities of new scientific and translational information which can be helpful for prevention and treatment of the diseases. The 11th meeting will be held as a satellite to the joint World Congress of ISBRA/ESBRA-2016 in Berlin, Germany and the 12th meeting as a satellite to ISBRA-2018 in Kyoto, Japan. The 13th meeting will be held in Korea with the host of the Korean Association for Study of the Liver (KASL). Each will have a unique general theme and subthemes for scientific sessions. A preliminary program for the 11th meeting has been created around the topics of immunology of ALPD, novel therapies of liver and pancreatic cancer and cirrhosis, CYP2E1, ADH, and ALDH in liver disease and cancer, system biology involving intestinal microbitota. This NIAAA R13 grant will defray travel costs of invited US speakers and to provide travel awards for US young investigators while the hosting organization is expected to provide a matching support for the venue and meeting logistics, as well as travel for invited speakers and young attendees from non-US and hosting nations. This mechanism of shared financial responsibility will assure cost-effective meeting management without compromising the synergistic outcome for science and outreach.
Alcoholic liver and pancreatic diseases (ALPD) represent the most common alcohol-associated life style diseases around the world. To address this global issue at both scientific and outreach levels, International Symposium on ALPD and Cirrhosis has been organized and held annually since 2006. These meetings have promoted active international collaborations among investigators with complementary expertise and resources, resulted in influential publications, and led to major advancements of science in the field of ALPD and cirrhosis. At the outreach level, the hosting organizations have taken the initiatives to create a task force or committee to promote the awareness of alcohol-associated diseases and related basic and translational science which can be helpful for prevention and treatment of the diseases. This renewal application requests support for a continuation of the symposia on a biennial basis for 11th -13th meetings to be held in 2016, 2018, and 2020.
| Tsukamoto, Hidekazu (2015) Metabolic reprogramming and cell fate regulation in alcoholic liver disease. Pancreatology 15:S61-5 |
