This award supports the participation of six US scientists in a joint US-Japan seminar on "Biology of the Epidermis," July 21-25, 1991 in Sapporo, Japan. The co-organizers are Professor Joseph McGuire, Department of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, and Professor Akira Ohkawara, Department of Dermatology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan. Specific topics to be discussed at the seminar include (1) stratum corneum and extracellular lipids; (2) structural proteins of the epidermis; (3) regulation of proliferation and differentiation, vitamin D3, growth factors and cytokines; and (4) expression of oncogenes by keratinocytes. This will be the fifth seminar on this subject since 1976. These seminars have played an important role in fostering and promoting interactions between US and Japanese dermatologists and skin researchers. Because much information on the epidermis has become known since the last seminar in 1985, the proposed seminar is particularly timely. The epidermis covers the entire human body, protecting internal organs and maintaining human homeostasis. In order to perform protection and maintenance of proper homeostasis, the epidermis possesses highly organized features and functions. Much research has been undertaken to try to understand these, concentrating on defining the morphological and biochemical properties of the epidermis. The field is expanding rapidly, particularly in the areas of molecular biology and regulation of cell growth and differentiation. Significant contributions are currently being made to the field of skin science, which should eventually lead to the resolution of the pathogenesis of various skin diseases. Because the seminar will address topics where significant recent advances have been made, the meeting should bring the U.S. and Japanese research communities up to date and stimulate future collaborative projects.
