Uncovering the molecular mechanisms by which organisms recognize and respond to tissue damage is one of the most lively and diverse fields in basic biomedical research. Likewise tissue repair and regeneration are topics of major public health/clinical concern as inadequate wound healing following trauma or surgery and diseases/conditions that involve misregulated tissue repair responses, such as diabetes mellitus, aging, cancer, and fibrosis affect millions in the US per year. The molecular mechanisms underlying tissue repair or its failure are not completely understood and current therapy options are not sufficient. The search for clinical strategies that improve the body's endogenous repair mechanisms is based on a thorough understanding of the basic biology of repair/regeneration, and is at the cutting edge of modern medicine. The Gordon Research Conference on Tissue Repair and Regeneration (TRR-GRC) is the only major recurrent meeting that brings together the full diversity of researchers interested in basic biology and translationa applications of tissue repair/regenerative processes. The 2012 TRR-GRC will be held from June 16-21, at Colby Sawyer College, New London, NH. Nine scientific sessions are planned which span the latest, high impact discoveries in basic and translational science of tissue repair/regeneration and are expected to push the field forward in both fundamental aspects as well as regenerative medicine. Four innovative sessions will highlight emerging new directions in the field, including aging mechanisms, mechanotransduction, epigenetic control, and signals in growth control and metabolism. Five sessions on rather traditional topics will report on the latest breakthroughs in barrier repair and regeneration, whole organ and pattern regeneration, parallels between wound healing and cancer, functional plasticity of myeloid cells, and tissue engineering. Our diverse speakers will emphasize unpublished results and be encouraged to make their presentations accessible to attendees from outside their immediate disciplines. It is anticipated that exposure of this very diverse group of scientists, from basic cell biologists/bioengineers to clinicians, fosters stimulating discussions and productive collaborations that will deliver the next generation of novel therapeutics in regenerative medicine. This eleventh iteration of the TRR-GRC will be held for the second time in conjunction with a Gordon Research Seminar, on June 15-16. This latter pre-meeting is designed to provide a platform for junior scientists (graduate students/postdocs) to present their work relevant to tissue repair/regeneration and to facilitate their integration/participation in the TRR-GRC that follows. Participation by underrepresented minorities will be encouraged and supported by scholarships offered through existing TRR-GRC programs. Generous NIH support will substantially enhance the quality of the program and collaborative opportunities fostered by the planned program.
This proposal requests funds to support a scientific meeting whose topic is tissue repair and regeneration. These subjects are a major public health concern as traumatic injury is a leading cause of death for young Americans and inadequate healing/repair due to a variety of physiological factors (age, infection, fibrosis) or disease stats (diabetes, vascular disease, cancer) is a major clinical preoccupation and public health burden. The philosophy behind the meeting is that a thorough understanding of the basic science of repair/regeneration can be translated into effective therapies for tissue repair and regeneration.
