Project description:The 13th International Podocyte Conference was held in Manchester, UK, and online from July 28 to 30, 2021. Originally planned for 2020, this biannual meeting was postponed by a year because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and proceeded as an innovative hybrid meeting. In addition to in-person attendance, online registration was offered, and this attracted 490 conference registrations in total. As a Podocyte Conference first, a day for early-career researchers was introduced. This premeeting included talks from graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. It gave early career researchers the opportunity to ask a panel, comprising academic leaders and journal editors, about career pathways and the future for podocyte research. The main meeting over 3 days included a keynote talk and 4 focused sessions each day incorporating invited talks, followed by selected abstract presentations, and an open panel discussion. The conference concluded with a Patient Day, which brought together patients, clinicians, researchers, and industry representatives. The Patient Day was an interactive and diverse day. As well as updates on improving diagnosis and potential new therapies, the Patient Day included a PodoArt competition, exercise and cooking classes with practical nutrition advice, and inspirational stories from patients and family members. This review summarizes the exciting science presented during the 13th International Podocyte Conference and demonstrates the resilience of researchers during a global pandemic.
Project description:There are many ways to classify ectodermal dysplasia syndromes. Clinicians in practice use a list of syndromes from which to choose a potential diagnosis, paging through a volume, such as Freire-Maia and Pinheiro's corpus, matching their patient's findings to listed syndromes. Medical researchers may want a list of syndromes that share one (monothetic system) or several (polythetic system) traits in order to focus research on a narrowly defined group. Special interest groups may want a list from which they can choose constituencies, and insurance companies and government agencies may want a list to determine for whom to provide (or deny) health-care coverage. Furthermore, various molecular biologists are now promoting classification systems based on gene mutation (e.g., TP63-associated syndromes) or common molecular pathways. The challenge will be to balance comprehensiveness within the classification with usability and accessibility so that the benefits truly serve the needs of researchers, health-care providers, and ultimately the individuals and families directly affected by ectodermal dysplasias. It is also recognized that a new classification approach is an ongoing process and will require periodical reviews or updates. Whatever scheme is developed, however, will have far-reaching application for other groups of disorders for which classification is complicated by the number of interested parties and advances in diagnostic acumen. Consensus among interested parties is necessary for optimizing communication among the diverse groups whether it be for equitable distribution of funds, correctness of diagnosis and treatment, or focusing research efforts.
Project description:The 13th annual Western Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference was held in Calgary, Alberta, September 8-10, 2011. Health care professionals involved in the care of patients with gastrointestinal cancers participated in presentation and discussion sessions for the purposes of developing the recommendations presented here. This consensus statement addresses current issues in the management neuroendocrine tumours and locally advanced pancreatic cancer.