Plans for a 3rd HSAN1 conference sponsored by the Deater Foundation
The Deater Foundation has sponsored 2 HSAN1 international workshops, in 2008 and in 2010. The first set the research community on the path to investigate the possibility that the gene defect in HSAN1 involved the creation of a substance toxic to nerves. The second conference proposed that supplementation of L-serine might have positive results on the symptoms of the disease.
These conferences are extremely valuable in bringing together researchers from around the world who are each experts in their fields. Dr. Brown proposed last fall that another conference within the year would be a valuable platform to move HSAN1 research forward. This year’s conference will take place in the Boston area November 14-16. Invitations have been extended to “The Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapy of HSAN1″. As of June 2, 2013, the following plan to attend: Dr. Kurt Fischbeck, National Institutes of Health; Dr. Garth Nicholson, University of Sydney, Australia; Dr. Marc Freeman, UMass Medical School; Dr. Mary Reilly, National Hospital for Neurology, London; Dr. Vincent Timmerman, University of Antwerp, Belgium; and Dr. Anne Louise Oaklander, MGH. These researchers will bring an immense and varied amount of expertise to share.
Advances in biochemistry and genetics have opened potential new avenues of research regarding the HSAN1-associated mutations in the SPT gene.