The BMP 2016 Conference will bring together investigators who are leaders in a variety of interconnected and interrelated disciplines essential for a comprehensive and encompassing study and understanding of the BMP signaling axis in development, disease, and regeneration. The scientific presentations, formal and informal discussions, and poster presentations throughout the conference are designed to expand the understanding of the genetic, molecular and cellular mechanisms and processes by which the BMP signaling axis influences development and maintenance of organ systems, and to uncover how dysregulation of this control results in disease. This knowledge is fundamental for our ability to normalize the BMP signaling pathway, returning the body to homeostasis and supporting successful tissue repair and regeneration. BMP 2016 will leverage new and important findings and provide attendees with: a broader appreciation and prospective of the complexity of the BMP signaling axis; tangible and direct examples of therapeutic strategies being tested at the moment; and opportunities for consideration and discussion of future ones. Given its format, the collegial and cooperative atmosphere of the BMP 2016 Conference provides a forum for extended discussions and conversations, interactions, networking, debating of novel hypotheses and prioritization of unmet research needs, and career considerations particularly useful for young investigators and trainees who represent future researchers in this field.
Since the last meeting in 2014, novel and far-reaching discoveries have firmly established the BMP signaling axis (BMP/TGF?/Activin/GDF) as a central mediator of embryonic development, organ homeostasis, and the body's ability to successfully repair after injury. Moreover, perturbations in the BMP signaling axis are now linked to a growing list of genetic diseases of the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems, to the metabolic consequences of cancer, and to the dwindling pool of tissue-specific stem cells that define the aging process. These discoveries provide fertile ground for identification of novel targets and promising new therapies that can fundamentally impact the health of a broad segment of the population. The 2016 BMP Conference specifically aims to exploit these exciting discoveries and provide a timely and relevant forum for their presentation, appreciation, analysis, and discussion so as to inspire and stimulate progress toward ever more effective and targeted therapeutics for BMP signaling disorders.
