Over the last few weeks we have attended scientific meetings to increase our awareness and knowledge of on-going research relevant to BHD syndrome. Conferences are a great place to meet scientists at the forefront of current research and to hear about on-going projects before they reach publication stage.
In early March, the International Symposium on Targeted Anticancer Therapies took place in Paris. It was organised by the NDDO Education Foundation, the European Society for Medical Oncology and the US National Cancer Institute. The meeting focused on cancer therapies with a specific molecular target. Of interest to BHD syndrome were sessions on cell metabolism, targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway and anti-angiogenics, including how to target HIF. Each session discussed advantages and disadvantages to that particular type of treatment, as well as describing new therapies currently under clinical trials.
Another conference of interest was the Genomic Disorders meeting held at the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus near Cambridge, which focused on The Genomics of Rare Diseases. This conference centred on the vast amount of information being gathered from next generation sequencing technologies, and how it is helping to identify mutations related to a variety of genetic syndromes. Of particular interest were the talks related to how international consortiums will help fund and organise rare disease research globally, so as to optimise scarce resources and accelerate the development of new therapies.
Keep an eye on our new Conferences and Events page to see upcoming meetings that are of interest to those involved in BHD research. We also have a dedicated page for the Third BHD Symposium to be held in Maastricht, 11th-12th May 2011, which welcomes both researchers and families affected by BHD syndrome. The programme is currently being finalised and will be available soon. It’s not too late to register and we hope to see many of you in Maastricht!
www.bhdsyndrome.org – the primary online resource for anyone interested in BHD Syndrome.