THE FEE FOR THIS MEETING HAS BEEN REDUCED BY 30% (if you have not already registered).

This meeting will take place at The BioPark, Hertfordshire, UK and has CPD approval. The chair will be Professor P.K. Das, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

"Although there is a rush of technological advancement in the tropical countries, by accepting the super technological approach in handling diseases like cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, diabetes, rare neurological disease etc, the most commonly encountered diseases in the tropical countries, such as infectious diseases (leprosy, drug resistant tuberculosis, leishmanissis,malaria filariais as well as common cancers like oral cancer and immunodeficiency vs malnutrition) are not getting enough attention.  This meeting will explore the new technological advances and research currently being undertaken to irradicate these neglected diseases and discuss the greater implications these will have to global public health".  Meeting Chair:  Professor P.K. Das, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands . The meeting has CPD approval.

The agenda includes:

 Global Health in the Tropics. Barriers and perspectives  - Prof Francesco Castelli, University of Brescia, Italy.
In Developing Countries a severe burden of infectious diseases caused by an array of different types of viruses, bacteria, worms and parasites is associated to poverty, malnutrition, scarce hygiene and dirty drinkable waters. These diseases share population targets, ecological niches and wide distribution with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, with extremely high public health impact. Research investments on control, prevention and drugs for diseases that are confined to poor countries are poor, even if increasing in the last decade. Strong political and scientific commitment is urgently needed to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of poverty-related diseases in Developing Countries

 MHC/NK interactions and disease  - Professor. John Trowsdale, Cambridge University, UK
The highly polymorphic MHC class I and class II genes are intimately involved in susceptibility to both infectious and autoimmune disease. Receptors on Natural Killer (NK) cells interact with MHC class I molecules. NK receptors are also polymorphic and are on a different chromosome to the MHC ligands. The independent inheritance of variable receptor and ligand leads to combinatorial effects on disease resistance

 Diagnostics of Leprosy  - Dr. Annemieke Geluk, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.
Preclinical M. leprae infection is a major source for leprosy transmission. Therefore, early detection of individual infected with M. leprae is crucial. However, to date there are no tests available that can identify preclinical leprosy.  HLA based bio-informatic tools combined with comparative genomics recently allowed us to identify M. leprae unique antigens. Evaluation of IFN-γ responses to these antigens in endemic areas revealed antigens that are only recognized in M. leprae infected/exposed individuals.  Use of such antigens in user-friendly LF assays asalternatives to ELISA-based assays to detect IFN-γ in response to M. leprae-specific antigens will contribute to prevention of leprosy-induced disabilities further transmission by otherwise undiagnosed and untreated index cases.

Schistosomiasis: what’s being done to control it  - Mike Doenhoff.

 Differential Th responses and the implications for HIV-1 infection -  Dr William A Paxton, University of Amsterdam¸The Netherlands.                                                                                                                       HIV-1 infection undoubtedly occurs in combination with other Diseases and since a large number of people living with HIV-1 reside  in sub-Saharan Africa these will likely be TB as well as an array of parasitic pathogens, including Malaria or helminthes. How the HIV-1 develops in such individuals is still poorly understood but some in vitro data indicates that the Th stimulation profile can determine HIV-1  replication suggesting that differential immune responses May impact on  the HIV-1 disease course. We are currently studying the in vitro CD4  environment and how this can influence HIV-1 replication as well assaying the stimulatory response in HIV-1 and TB co-infected individuals. Understanding better which Th responses are preferentially infected with HIV-1 may provide insight into what responses should or should not be stimulated in a successful HIV-1 vaccine.

 Malaria vaccines -Dr. Alan Thomas ,  Biomedical Primate Research Centre,  Rijswijk, The Netherlands .Malaria vaccine development has reached an exciting juncture. Mosquirix, the most advanced candidate, targets a single molecule expressed in early developmental phases of the parasite. As Mosquirix enters advanced clinical trials it is timely to consider other vaccine approaches that are being considered, to set these within the context of a parasite genome of some 5000 genes and to consider the tools available to select between promising vaccine candidates and accelerate progress towards the clinic.

Correlates of protection in co-infections  - Dr.  Roberto Nisini, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Italy.In Developing Countries a severe burden of infectious diseases caused by an array of different types of bacteria, worms and parasites is associated to poverty, malnutrition, scarce hygiene and dirty drinkable waters. Moreover, these diseases often occur in individuals who are also affected by HIV/AIDS, MA or TB, making the problem even more serious and, due to the high prevalence of these diseases, co-infections are the rule rather than the exception in many geographical areas. Coordinated experimental approaches designed to dissect the different component of immune response to co-infections are required for a more accurate diagnosis and vaccine design.

If you would like to book a place, please visit: www.regonline.co.uk/tropical09

To obtain the reduced price, please use the following code:  TROPICAL=-30%