Funds are provided to help defray costs for participants and young scientists to attend an International Conference on Melanotropic Peptides. Melanotropins, (melanocyte-stimulating hormones, MSH; melanin-concentrating hormone, MCH) were among the first peptides to be structurally analyzed and to be chemically synthesized. While their biological effects on pigmentation, especially in invertebrate species, have been widely appreciated, it is clear that melanotropins affect the central nervous system and specific peripheral organs. This conference will address the important advances being made on the biosynthesis, secretion and molecular mechanisms of action of these peptides. It covers the full spectrum of topics from the discovery of MSH to most current knowledge of its role as neuropeptides. The conference's format provides the atmosphere to foster meaningful interchanges between an interdisciplinary group of scientists. The final discussion will speculate on how these rapid advances in basic research may lead to the potential clinical use of melanotropins in the diagnosis and therapy of melanoma, the treatment of pigment disorders, nerve damage and dementia.
