Abstract
(Englisch)
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A workshop entitled 'Reconstructing endocrine pancreas' has been organised in Geneva, from March 17 to March 19, 2000, by Paolo Meda, Claes B. Wollheim, Domenico Bosco and Bernard Thorens. The focus of this workshop, the second in the context of the Concerted Action (CA) of the European Union
'Islet Research European Network [IREN]: Bioengineered Cells for Gene Therapy of Diabetes Mellitus', and the first to be ever organised in Switzerland, was primarily to bring together the best world specialists of endocrine pancreas, including numerous swiss colleagu es, to discuss research progress in the cell and molecular biology of insulin-producing cells, in the perspective of future applications for the treatment of type I and type II diabetes. It was also aimed at offering an opportunity for graduated students and junior scientists to directly interact with internationally renown experts in the field of experimental diabetology and insulin secretion.
The workshop was attended by 162 people from 50 laboratories and 15 countries, 38 of which participate to the IREN program. Eight speakers were invited to deliver a keynote address at each of the following eight scientific sessions which focussed on insulin signaling in the ( - cell, metabolic integration of islet cells, pancreas development, adhesion molecules, ionic signaling within the islets, islet cell interactions, immunomodulation and encapsulation for cell therapy. Out of the 63 abstracts which were submitted, 31 were selected for oral presentation and distributed in these sessions. 34 posters were selected for poster presentations and were on display throughout the duration of the workshop. The meeting closed with a general discussion lead by Prof. C.B. Wollheim and S. Lenzen on the problems and perspectives of engineering an endocrine pancreas. Many participants contributed to this debate with questions and comments on the origin of surrogate cells, ectopic insulin production, how to protect cells, problems of autoimmunity, should pseudoislets be preferred to single cells, should pseudoislet include different islet cell types, what to encapsulate.
From the comments we received after the meeting closure, it is safe to conclude that the participants overwelming appreciated the scientific, organisational and social aspects of the meeting, as well as the choice of Geneva as the gathering place.
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