Advanced perspective in Neural Tube Defects

Although Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) are one of the most common human congenital anomalies, their etiology is still imperfectly understood. On September 27th and 28th, 2008, we will be uniting some of the most prominent NTD scientists in Genoa, Italy for a two-day meeting to explore the most relevant and recent scientific findings and advances in this field. Second in a planned annual series of gatherings, this meeting will showcase up-to-date information, providing as well a wealth of background knowledge about these complex developmental anomalies, thereby giving early stage researchers the chance to share in and benefit from the most recent data emerging in the field.
Through a format designed to stimulate discussion and scientific exchange, the meeting will highlight the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of NTDs. In particular, attention will be focused on the most recent advances in the mechanisms of neural tube formation and vertebrate embryology, with special emphasis being given to efforts to translate these findings from animal models to the identification of human NTD risk genes. The meeting’s overriding goal is to offer a scientific program that meets the needs and interests of young researchers and students in biology, as well as medical geneticists, pediatricians and neurologists working in the field