PharmTalk - The President's Blog

Brian M. Cox

The 2010 World Congress in Pharmacology to be held in Copenhagen in July is organized around a series of focused conferences each integrating recent basic and clinical research on a discrete topic in 2 or 3 day program within the main Congress schedule. The topics for all the conferences look very interesting, but one that caught my eye is on ion channelopathies (FC12: Ion channelopathies: new windows on complex disease and therapy).

It is approaching 60 years since Hodgkin, Huxley,  Katz and co-workers provided the initial foundations for understanding of the roles of ion channels in the contraction of muscle. These observations, and the demonstration in a series of papers published between 1949 and 1952 by Hodgkin and Huxley of the role of sodium and potassium conductances in the propagation of the action potential in the axon of the giant squid, have led to five decades of research on the large number of ligand-regulated ion channels that are now known to exist, a number that could not have been anticipated in the early 1950s.  (I am indebted to the brief review by Colquhoun & Sakmann, 1998, for a concise summary of the initial studies on ligand-regulated ion channels).  Since these early years, improved techniques for analysis of channel properties, molecular cloning approaches, and channel protein sequence comparisons across species and between individuals have revealed the subunit complexity of the major ion channels and some insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in ion conductance.  These studies are now beginning to provide additionally a basis for understanding of the role of polymorphisms in the structure of critical subunits in inherited disorders of ion channel function.  A research area that for many years was mainly of interest to the basic scientist focused on understanding membrane protein properties and receptor signal-transduction mechanisms is now expanding to provide insights into clinical conditions and to the development of novel therapeutic approaches.

Under the Chairmanship of Bill Catterall of the University of Washington, an exciting program has been developed for each session in the channelopathies conference, each with presentations from experts from several countries.  Some sessions will consider the role of impaired channel function in disorders of nerve or muscle in inherited epilepsy, migraine, pain conditions, periodic paralyses, cardiac arrythmias and hypertension.   Others will address the roles of ion channels in what used to be described as non-excitable tissues, including components of the endocrine and immune systems.  This multidisciplinary approach, including presentations on both laboratory and clinical studies, will draw attention to commonalities of channel function across tissue types as well as pointing to features unique to specific tissues. The conference epitomizes the objectives of the Congress as a whole, the “remarriage” (to quote the Congress Chairs, Kim Brosen and Michael Mulvany) of basic and clinical pharmacology.

This is just one of eighteen focused conferences at the Copenhagen World Congress; the others are on equally interesting topics.  Check out the full program at www.worldpharma2010.org / .   Young scientists and graduate students in the USA should check to see if they might be eligible for a travel award from ASPET providing partial support towards the costs of attending the conference (details at  www.aspet.org/awards/travel).  Note that the deadline for abstract submission for the Congress is 15 January 2010.

Refs:

Colquhoun D, & Sakmann B. (1998) From muscle endplate to brain synapses: a short history of synapses and agonist-activated ion channels. Neuron 20: 381-87.

Fatt P & Katz B. (1951). An analysis of the end-plate potential recorded with an intra-cellular electrode. J. Physiol (Lond) 115, 320-370.

Hodgkin AL, & Huxley AF (1952) A quantitative description of membrane current and its application to conduction and excitation in nerve, J. Physiol (Lond), 117: 500-554.

The date for submission of abstracts for the International Union of Pharmacology (IUPHAR) 2010 World Congress in Pharmacology is fast approaching (the last date for abstract submission is 15 January 2010); now is the time to start planning to attend what promises to be a very interesting meeting. A message (see below) from Sam Enna, former ASPET President and current IUPHAR Secretary-General, outlines plans for the meeting, which will be held in Copenhagen in July.

Two new features of the program caught my attention. For several decades basic and clinical pharmacologists have held separate world congresses; in 2010 these two meetings will be merged in a single congress giving equal programming weight to both fields. For pharmacologists based in the United States, where pre-clinical and clinical pharmacologists often do not attend the same meetings, this is a welcome return to the roots of the discipline of pharmacology. At a time when many funding agencies are emphasizing translational research, the increased exposure of basic scientists to the clinical applications of their discoveries will be of benefit to ASPET members, and clinical pharmacologists should find the sessions on the identification of novel drug targets and on drug discovery to be useful. The other innovation, described in more detail by Dr. Enna, is the use of focused conferences on discrete topics within the overall program, so that attendees should be able to find consecutive programming specifically in their fields of interest throughout the meeting.

ASPET members should note that the society has, as for previous IUPHAR World Congresses, set aside funds to provide travel support for graduate students and young scientists to attend the 2010 World Congress. Check the ASPET web site for details and how to apply for travel support from ASPET (  www.aspet.org/awards/travel/  ). This is a great opportunity to attend what promises to be a fascinating conference in a very interesting city, as well as to meet pharmacologists from around the world.

Brian Cox
President, ASPET

The International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR) will hold its 16th World Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark, July 17-23, 2010. Designated WorldPharma2010 (www.WorldPharma2010.org), the meeting is organized and hosted by the Danish Society for Pharmacology. This is the first IUPHAR Congress to cover both the basic and clinical aspects of the discipline. Highlights of the meeting include 18 focused conferences, each of which lasts from 2 to 2 ½ days. Focused conference topics include ion channels in analgesia and anesthesia, transmembrane transport, simulation and data modeling in drug development, pediatric clinical pharmacology, and G protein-coupled 7TM receptors, to name a few. In most cases, the focused conferences emphasize the translational nature of the work, illustrating how information gleaned from basic laboratory research can be exploited clinically. Among the focused conference speakers are Randy Blakely, Jane Mitchell, Jean Philippe Pin, Michelle Bouvier, Marc Caron, William Catterall, Frank Gonzalez, Peter Kalivas, George Koob, and Paul Vanhoutte. Another feature of the meeting includes two dozen plenary lectures. Speakers in this group include Salvador Moncada, Trevor Sharp, Brian Kobilka, Sue Duckles, Shizou Akira, Peter Barnes, and Olavi Pelkoknen. Poster sessions, workshops, satellite meetings, and sponsored symposia round out the meeting.

Scheduled social events are an opening reception, a reception at Copenhagen City Hall, and a dinner at Tivoli Gardens. Beyond this, Copenhagen and the surrounding Danish countryside offer a wide range of activities from castle tours, to cycling, to art museums, and seaside activities.

The abstract submission deadline for WorldPharma2010 is January 15, 2010. The deadline for advanced, and therefore reduced, registration is March 15, 2010.

The meeting venue will be the new congress center in Copenhagen (www.worldpharma2010.org/information). The Star Alliance Airline Network is offering Congress participants a 20% discount on airfare (http://www.worldpharma2010.org/officialcarrier.php). Questions about the meeting should be directed to Dr. Kim Brøsen (kbrosen@health.sdu.dk), Congress President, or Dr. Mike Mulvany (mm@farm.au.dk), the Congress Secretary-General.