I’m sure it will come as no surprise, that on the week that programmes have been released for the Second BHD Symposium (both the scientific and patient-orientated sessions), I have chosen to talk about the Symposium again! And if you haven’t already had the opportunity to go through them, they can be found here.
The scientific programme is a really tantalising because I see words like ‘regulation’, ‘understanding’, ‘insights’ and ‘functional characterisation’, all relating to BHD Syndrome and the protein Folliculin.
Back in 2008, when the inaugural BHD Symposium took place, researchers had the first opportunity to share insights into BHD Syndrome, like the availability of animal models and the identification of FNIP1 and FNIP2 as Folliculin interacting proteins, amongst other things, and really set the foundations for the excellent work that will be presented on April 22nd at the Second BHD Symposium.
It’s exciting to see that we’re getting to the real guts of the role of Folliculin and the mechanism(s) underlying BHD Syndrome. It would be extremely inappropriate of me to comment on specific presentations at this stage, in terms of potential highlights for the day, but I think the breadth and depth of work coming out of the BHD community speaks for itself when I say there truly is something for everyone, regardless of your area of expertise.
Also, the fact that two programmes have been issued also speaks volumes. We hope the parallel ‘Families Session’ will prove useful to individuals affected by BHD Syndrome since their specific needs will be discussed by health professionals with experience and knowledge of BHD Syndrome, and that the opportunity to listen to clinical presentations will put them in touch with the scientific community and conversely, give scientists the opportunity to meet the faces of BHD Syndrome.
www.BHDsyndrome.org – the online reference site for anyone interested in BHD Syndrome