NEW!
NEW!
NEW!
NEW!
Bethesda, Maryland
October 18–19, 2001
Friday, October 5, 2001
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
American Diabetes Association (ADA)
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)
Diabetes results from the anatomical or functional loss of beta cells in the pancreas. Replacement or regeneration of beta cells damaged in diabetes are therapeutic interventions that hold promise in the future treatment of diabetes. However, the development of such therapies will be enhanced with a fundamental understanding of the developmental biology underlying formation of the endocrine pancreas, of the mechanisms regulating beta cell proliferation, and of stem cells. The objective of this 2-day workshop is to bring together investigators from multiple disciplines doing state-of-the-art research in developmental biology of the pancreas, islet cell biology, and stem cells. Presentations will highlight recent research advances in (1) the pathway of pancreas development from the earliest steps of fate determination to islet cell differentiation, (2) the factors and signaling pathways that regulate beta cell mass and (3) the characterization of embryonic stem cells, and stem/multipotential progenitor cells that have been isolated from a variety of tissues and organs including blood, the nervous system, liver, and pancreas. It is anticipated that this symposium will provide insight into new research directions in the rapidly developing areas of pancreatic development, islet cell biology, and stem cell biology and will generate recommendations for future research initiatives.
There will be a poster session on October 18th where abstracts will be presented. This session will provide the opportunity for fostering discussions, and pave the way to new collaborations. A limited number of travel awards will be available for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and new investigators presenting abstracts.
