We are requesting funds to help defray the major expenses of the fourth Neurotrophin Gordon Conference, to be held in June, 1999. The goal of the Neurotrophin Gordon Conference is to provide a biannual forum to foster the exchange of new information about neurotrophic factors and to provide a forum for the dissemination of new tools and methodologies for their study. Neurotrophic factors are polypeptide growth and differentiation factors that influence the properties and functions of neurons and non-neuronal cells within the nervous system. During vertebrate development they play essential roles in regulating survival, proliferation, differentiation, axon growth and guidance and' synapse formation by neural cells, In the mature nervous system, they continue to function by regulating expression of neurotransmitters, receptors and ion channels as well as by modulating synaptic efficacy and connectivity. They have been shown to protect neurons from a variety of toxic insults and in animal models of human neurodegenerative diseases, raising the possibility that they can be used as therapeutic agents. In the past, studies on these factors have had major conceptual impacts on developmental and cell biology and they continue to motivate and guide much modern research in developmental biology. While the initial definition of neurotrophic factors focused on the functions of Nerve Growth Factor and closely related proteins named neurotrophins (NGF, BDNF, NT-3 and NT-4), more recently this definition has been broadened to include other families, including the neuropoietic cytokines, such as CNTF and LIF, and members of the TGFbeta superfamily , such as glial-derived neurotrophic factor and neurturin. The vast majority of neurotrophic factors and their receptors have only been identified and cloned in the past decade. Their biological functions are being intensively studied in vitro and in vivo by neuroscientists, cell and molecular biologists, and physiologists. Discovery of novel factors continues to be an active and productive endeavor. Novel strategies for discovery and functional characterization have been made possible by new technologies and will be discussed. The expanded list of functions attributed to these factors has required scientists to either adapt existing methods or develop new methods. This meeting provides a forum to facilitate interchanges between scientists familiar with the problems and those with new or unfamiliar methodologies. In addition to their impact on basic science, the past decade has witnessed an explosion of research, carried out in both universities and biotechnology companies, aimed at using these factors to alleviate symptoms of diseases of the nervous system. While not invariably successful, efforts have been made to utilize these factors in experimental treatments of Alzheimer's Disease, Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis, and Parkinson's Disease. Trials examining possible beneficial roles for these factors in treatment of sensory neuropathies and controlling pain are far advanced. An effort will be made in this Gordon Conference, as in past ones, to ensure that attendees are educated in possible clinical applications of their work and have the opportunity to interact with scientists whose major research focus is on developing therapeutic applications. In summary, knowledge obtained about the biological activities of neurotrophic factors and mechanisms of signal transduction mediated by their receptors will lead to greater understandings of the development, function, and repair of the mammalian central and peripheral nervous systems. This meeting seeks to help advance this work by providing a forum for exchange of new insights and information.
