Preface to Pachyonychia Congenita Symposium Proceedings

The 4th Intercontinental Meeting of Hair Research

Sancy A. Leachman ; W. H. Irwin McLean ; Janice N. Schwartz ; Mary E. Schwartz

Others  :  http://www.nature.com/jidsp/journal/v10/n1/pdf/5640171a.pdf
PID  :  5387

来源: CEUR

【 摘 要 】

These Symposium Proceedings summarize current clinical, therapeutic, and scientific challenges associated with developing effective treatments for pachyonychia congenita (PC). The impetus for these papers was the First International Pachyonychia Congenita Symposium, held on February 12–16, 2004, at the Yarrow Hotel in Park City, Utah. This symposium was sponsored by The Pachyonychia Congenita Fund (Pachyonychia Congenita Project/PC Project), a USA public charity founded in November 2003, which supports clinical and research activities related to the treatment of pachyonychia congenita. The goal of this symposium was to gather thought leaders, expert clinicians and scientists to explore approaches to the treatment and eventual cure for the disorder. As reflected in these Symposium Proceedings, the major topics of presentations included our most current understanding of the clinical and histologic features, therapeutic approaches, and the molecular genetics of the disease. In addition, "special topics" sessions focused on the most practical and efficient approaches to developing an eventual cure for PC, including discussions of the most useful model systems and genetic and pharmacologic approaches. Finally, the difficulty of initiating clinical trials and developing therapeutics for rare disorders of the skin was discussed at considerable length, with an emphasis on maximizing the relationship between academia and industry in this effort. All participants in this symposium were encouraged to critically evaluate options, and the roundtable discussion format permitted a productive and frequently lively exchange of ideas and information. [First Paragraph]