This is a proposal to support the 1997 VITH International Workshop on Molecular and Cellular Biology of Plasminogen Activation. Plasminogen activation (PA) continues to be a central focus for therapeutic in heart, lung, and blood diseases, and plasminogen activator pharmaceuticals have become a mainstay for the treatment of myocardial infarction, stroke, and other thromboembolic disorders. The study of PA thus is at the interface of scientific research, clinical medicine, and biotechnology. Contributions from the basic laboratory have been particularly important for the development of new therapies in this field. The PA Workshop has provided an unique opportunity for investigators from around the world to interact and exchange ideas in a small informal environment in which all participants are in residence. One unique aspect of this series of PA Workshops is that they have been and will continue to be primarily abstract-driven meetings. Therefore, and in contrast to most other meetings, the most exciting and current work in the field will be emphasized, and lengthy reviews of already published data will be avoided. The explosive interest in this field led to the organization of the first PA Workshop in 1987 and the initial meeting and subsequent biannual meetings have been well attended and regarded by the participants as resounding successes. The VIth PA Workshop will be held in Coronado, California from November 1-6, 1997. Partial funding for this meeting is requested in this application. Given the continued rapid pace of scientific and clinical developments in the field of PA as it pertains to diseases of the heart, lung, brain, kidneys, etc., this meeting should again be extremely appropriate and timely. This meeting will have an unique focus in that it will emphasize the role of PA in physiological and pathophysiological processes in addition to thrombolysis. These include neural functions, atherogenesis, angiogenesis, vasculogenesis, obesity and cancer, and will bring together scientists interested in the biology, biochemistry and genetics of PA. We anticipate that the extensive interactions and discussions which will occur at this meeting will help to identify important new directions, problems, and technologies for future research.
