2013 Multi-Drug Efflux Systems GRC

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal requests partial support for a meeting on the Multi-Drug Resistance Efflux Systems as part of Gordon Research Conference series to be held in Ventura, California, March 17 - 22, 2013. The conference will bring together the world's leading researchers investigating membrane transporters that play a significant role in resistance to anti-cancer and anti-infective drugs, are important for microbial pathogenesis and oncogenesis, involved in drug adsorption, distribution and excretion, and have been recently implicated in several human diseases. The broad and long-term goal of this conference is to foster cross-disciplinary discussions and collaborations so as to enhance our basic knowledge of the structure, mechanism, and regulation, physiological and pathophysiological functions of polyspecific (or multi-drug resistance) transporters with the aim of developing new insights and strategies for the control of multiple diseases. The specific aims of this meeting will be to convene over 40 leading experts that cover critical areas within this new field, with a total of 14 participants for a five-day conference in a very isolated setting. The program will be structured into nine sessions covering various aspects of multi-drug resistance associated with diverse types of transporters in various organisms, recently uncovered physiological functions, structural diversity and multiplicity of molecular mechanisms, regulation of expression and activity in different living systems and two sessions on translational research focused on the approaches to overcome/modulate activity of polyspecific transporters as a therapeutic strategy and the role of polyspecific transporters in pharmacology and pharmacogenomics. In addition, afternoon poster sessions will permit all participants to contribute to these topics. Every effort will be mae to encourage participation by postgraduate students and postdocs, to have parity in the numbers of women, and to include minorities and persons with disabilities. The significance of this application is that this Gordon Research Conference will provide the cross-disciplinary forum for bringing together and synergizing members of the international research community that work on different aspects of distinctive classes of multidrug efflux systems with shared molecular mechanisms but diverging roles in Medicine and Pharmacology. The health relatedness of this application is that the discussions generated will help define the important questions relating to basic science but also those required for the development of novel strategies for combating multi-drug resistance, various transporter-mediated diseases and improving efficacy and safety of numerous therapeutic agents.