Benzon Symposium No. 56
Functional and Pathogenic Protein Aggregation
Copenhagen, August 24-27, 2009
Organizing
committee:
Daniel Otzen & Poul Henning Jensen
(Aarhus),
Sven Frøkjær & Niels Borregaard
(Copenhagen)
The Benzon Symposia are international conferences on front line research in medical, pharmaceutical, and related sciences funded by the Alfred Benzon Foundation. Benzon Symposium No. 56 will provide a very comprehensive approach to the subject of protein fibrillation and feature lectures by 26 invited scientists as well as posters and oral poster-presentations selected from submitted abstracts. Attendance will be limited to 150 participants.
The symposium will take place at Hotel Skt. Petri, a modern designer hotel located in the heart of Copenhagen. All participants will stay at the Hotel Skt. Petri.
We look forward to seeing you in Copenhagen
The
organizing committee
DEADLINES
Abstracts:
April 1, 2009
Registration
and payment: June 1, 2009
CONFIRMED
INVITED SPEAKERS
Bertolotti,
Anne (UK) - Chapman,
Matthew R. (US) -
Eisenberg, David (US) - Gebbink,
Martijn (NL) -
Hartl,
F. Ulrich (D) - Jensen,
Poul Henning (DK) -
Kelly,
Jeff (US) - Kopito,
Ron (US) - Lansbury,
Peter (US) - Mandelkow,
Eckhard (D) - Masliah,
Eliezer (US) - Masters,
Colin L. (AU) -
Morimoto,
Richard I. (US) - Nielsen,
Per Halkjær (DK) - Otzen,
Daniel (DK)
APPLICATION
FOR PARTICIPATION
Participants
are selected primarily on the basis of abstracts submitted. Application for
participation without a poster presentation will only be considered after June
1, 2009.
Abstracts:
Abstracts
must be created by completing the Abstract Form and sent to benzon@post1.tele.dk
before April 1, 2009.
Abstract
Form with instructions for the preparation, and an Example can be downloaded
here.
Approved
abstracts will be presented as posters and/or in oral presentations. By May 2009
you will be informed about acceptance and type of presentation.
Registration:
Scientists
whose abstracts have been approved will receive a registration form (incl. hotel
reservation). Deadline for return of the registration form together with the
registration fee is June 1, 2009.
Participants:
The registration fee for participants, DKK 4,000,-, covers participation in the
symposium, hotel accommodation including breakfast (Sunday night-Friday
morning), lunches and coffee during the conference, and the following social
evening arrangements: Reception on Monday and Banquet on Wednesday.
Accompanying
persons: The fee for non-participating, accompanying persons, DKK 1,300,-,
covers accommodation (shared with the participant) including breakfast and
social evening arrangements together with the participants. For accompanying
persons only, there will be two day-time excursions which are also included in
the fee.
SYNOPSIS
Proteins
play a central role for all organisms by virtue of a well-defined
three-dimensional structure, obtained through a complex but well-regulated
folding process. Folding can be compromised by proteolysis, mutagenesis or
chemical changes within the cell. If the misfolded protein is not cleared
sufficiently rapidly by the cellular control system, aggregates in various
guises may accumulate in the cell. Early stage aggregation species include
cytotoxic oligomers thought to permeabilize cell membranes and inhibit the
protein degradation machinery. Such oligomers are increasingly implicated in
prevalent diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The mature fibrils
formed at later stages are apparently mainly a problem in systemic amyloidoses
where they accumulate in vital organs to an extent that leads to organ failure.
There is intense research in therapeutic strategies, including vaccination
against early-stage aggregates. Recent discoveries highlight the functional role
of protein amyloid within human melanosomes, bacterial biofilm and other areas,
and there is increasing awareness of the nanotechnological potential of such
highly organized structures.
The
Benzon Symposia are international conferences on front line research in medical,
pharmaceutical, and related sciences funded by the Alfred Benzon Foundation. The
56th Benzon Symposium on Functional and Pathogenic Protein Aggregation will
provide a very comprehensive approach to the subject of protein fibrillation.
Topics include amyloid and oligomer structures, mechanisms of formation in
vitro and in
vivo, pathological consequences, therapeutic approaches and functional
applications in
vitro and in
vivo. In particular we will address the following questions:
-
What is the link between aggregate-membrane interactions and pathological mechanisms? Which alternative mechanisms can explain the pathological observations and how can experiments be designed to clarify the molecular mechanisms?
-
How can we develop molecular strategies against deposition diseases?
-
Functional amyloid is the result of a very long evolutionary optimization in contrast to pathological amyloid. Can the two phenomena be distinguished based on their fundamental biophysical properties or is it a question of cellular regulation?
-
There is growing evidence for fibrillar polymorphism, i.e. the ability of a protein to adopt different aggregate structures with different structures and stabilities. Can these properties be systematized and modelled in silico? What, if any, is their physiological significance?
-
Fibrillation is a striking example of a well-developed ability to self-organize. Can these properties be tuned in tailor-made fashion towards pharmaceutical and nanotechnological solutions?
PROGRAMME
MonDAY,
August 24, 2009 (9AM-6PM)
Daniel Otzen:
Welcome and Opening Comments
Introductory
Opening Lecture
Chair:
Poul Henning Jensen
Colin L. Masters:
Amyloid Diseases - a Historic Perspective from Crude Mass to Soluble
Protofibrils
Session
I & II: Amyloids and their
Precursors
Chair:
Daniel Otzen & David Eisenberg
David Eisenberg:
Structural Studies of the Amyloid State
Louise Serpell:
Amyloid Structure by Electron Microscopy and Fiber Diffraction
Michele Vendruscolo:
Predicting Amyloid Propensities
Lunch
Oral
presentation selected from submitted abstracts
Daniel Otzen:
Amyloids and Folding. Membrane Interactions. Fibrillar Polymorphism
Peter Lansbury:
Models of Amyloid and Oligomer Formation
Bente Vestergaard:
Following Oligomer and Amyloid Formation by Small Angle X-ray Scattering
Authors
present posters. Beer/wine and pretzels
TuesDAY,
August 25, 2009 (9AM-6PM)
Session
III: Molecular Pathology of
Amyloid DISEASES - Cellular Responses to Protein Aggregates
Chair:
Peter Reinhart
Ron Kopito:
The Cell Biology of Protein Aggregation
F. Ulrich Hartl:
The Role of Molecular Chaperones in Neurodegenerative Misfolding Disease.
Richard I. Morimoto:
The Stress of Misfolded Proteins in Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging
Jeffery Kelly:
Proteostasis
Oral
presentation selected from submitted abstracts
Lunch
Session
IV: Molecular Pathology of
Amyloid DISEASES - Diseases of the Peripheral and Central Nervous System
Chair:
Rick Morimoto
Maria João Saraiva:
Pathogenic Pathways in Transthyrethin Amyloidosis
Eckhard Mandelkow:
Modeling Tauopathies – Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies
Oral
presentation selected from submitted abstracts
Dominic M. Walsh:
Oligomer Toxicity in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors
present posters. Beer/wine and pretzels
WednesDAY,
August 26, 2009 (9AM-6PM)
Session
V: Molecular Pathology of
Amyloid DISEASES - Diseases of the Central Nervous System
Chair:
Colin Masters
Eliezer Masliah:
Synapse Pathology and Therapeutic Strategies in Synucleinopathies
Poul Henning Jensen:
Pathways in Alpha-synuclein Aggregate Toxicity
Tiago Outeiro:
Modifying Alpha-synuclein Aggregation in Living Cells
Oral
presentation selected from submitted abstracts
Lunch
Session
VI:
Molecular
Pathology of Amyloid DISEASES - Therapeutic Approaches in Protein Misfolding
Chair:
Anne Bertolotti
Anne Bertolotti:
Cellular Modulators of Protein Aggregation
Erich Wanker:
Redirecting Amyloid Formation Pathways with Small
Molecules
Oral
presentation selected from submitted abstracts
Peter
Reinhart:
Therapeutic Strategies
Authors
present posters. Beer/wine and pretzels
ThursDAY,
August 27, 2009 (9AM-6PM)
Session
VII & VIII:
Functional
Amyloid & Nanotechnological Amyloid
Chair:
Per Halkjær Nielsen & Shuguang Zhang
Matthew R. Chapman:
Protein Misfolding Done Right: The Biogenesis
of Bacterial Amyloid Fibers
Per Halkjær
Nielsen: Nature and Prevalence of Bacterial
Amyloid
Martijn Gebbink:
Amyloid and Haemostasis
Mark E. Welland:
Material Technology of Amyloid Fibrils
Lunch
Oral
presentation selected from submitted abstracts
Thomas Scheibel:
Protein Engineering to Employ Amyloid Fibrils as New Materials
Shuguang Zhang:
Dynamics Behaviors of Designer Self-Assembling Peptides
Authors
present posters. Beer/wine and pretzels
VENUE
Accommodation
and Scientific meeting:
Hotel
Skt. Petri, Krystalgade 22 · 1172 Copenhagen · Denmark
Tel.
+45 3345 9100 · Fax +45 3345 9110, http://www.firsthotels.dk/sktpetri
GENERAL
INFORMATION
Copenhagen
(Denmark’s capital) was founded by Bishop Absalon in the 12th century. Its
beautiful centre is rich in 17th and 18th century architecture, museums, and
lively squares and pedestrian streets with plenty of restaurants, cafes, pubs,
and shopping opportunities. The numerous recreational areas include the
waterfront and the remains of the fortification surrounding the old city with a
ring of lakes and parks including the Tivoli Gardens.
You
may arrive at the very heart of Copenhagen by ferry or train or fly in to
Copenhagen Airport at Kastrup, 10 km from the centre. From the airport there is
a convenient direct train to the centre (Nørreport), only 5 minutes walk from
the hotel.
In August, the average daily temperature is just around 20 degrees centigrade. The weather is often sunny with occasional showers.
FURTHER
INFORMATION
Dr.
Jette Buur, The Alfred Benzon Foundation
Dantes Plads 3, II.t.v. DK-1556 Copenhagen V, Denmark
E-mail:
benzon@post1.tele.dk
