This grant application is submitted to request support from NIH for the 2007 Joint Conference of the Cell? Transplant Society (CTS), International Pancreas and Islet Transplant Association (IPITA), and International? Xenotransplantation Association (IXA). This first joint meeting of 3 sections of The Transplantation Society? (TTS) will take place in Minneapolis, MN from September 15-20, 2007 (www.cts-ipita-ixa-007.org).? ? The 2007 Joint Conference will be the major event of the TTS and of the transplant research community in? 2007. It will be the premier event in the areas of pancreas, islet, cell, and xenotransplantation in a 2-year time? span. The meeting will be timely and important in light of the increasing transplant activity, major? developments, and unprecedented progress and opportunities in these four areas:? ? Pancreas: Close to 2,000 transplants annually, including 1,250 simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplants.? ? Islets: 42 islet transplant programs in North America; major increase in activity expected after completion? of 2 Phase III licensure trials (funded by the NIH Clinical Islet Transplant Consortium) in patients with and? w/o previous kidney transplants. More than 20 active programs in Europe, Australia, and Asia.? ? Cell Transplantation: Emerging opportunities for cellular therapeutics (e.g., liver, islet, neural tissue and? heart replacement and bridging; regeneration and growth factors, cellular immunotherapeutics).? ? Xenotransplantation: Immense increase in pig-to-nonhuman primate heart, kidney, and islet? xenotransplant survival in past 2 years (e.g., four publications in Nature Medicine).? ? An excellent scientific program has been developed under the leadership of Megan Sykes, MD, Scientific? Program Chair. More than 100 internationally renowned speakers will present progress and emerging? opportunities in allotransplantation and xenotransplantation of cells and organs for the treatment of a variety of? disorders. The program will include Plenary Sessions, Symposia, Workshops, Oral Abstract Sessions, and? Poster Sessions. This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and? Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the sponsorship of? TTS.? ? The 2007 Joint Conference is expected to be attended by more than 1,000 delegates and will therefore afford? attending clinical investigators and basic scientists an excellent opportunity to present and discuss latest? research findings. It will present also the first opportunity for scientists working in these related areas to meet? and interact and benefit from their complementary expertise and experience.? ? The R13 grant will be a key element in our objective of providing an international forum of the highest scientific? merit that will result in increased utilization of transplantation for the treatment of diabetes, heart failure, liver? diseases, muscular dystrophies, neurodegenerative disorders, and other indications.
