Onzekerheid over Rhucin? Jonas wordt Lactoferrinwetenschapper vooral die internationale conferenties lijken mij uitdagend. Eerlijk gezegd wel in meerdere opzichten. Wereldwijd 100 collega's en dus lekker overzichtelijk en tijd voor ontspanning op de gesponsoorde uitjes naar verre oorden. Produkt stelt qua markt niets voor, maar dat dondert toch niet?
"The First International Conference on Lactoferrin Structure, Function and Applications was held in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1993 with approximately 70 attendees. Subsequent conferences have been held in Honolulu, Hawaii (1995); Le Touquet, France (1997); Sapporo, Japan (1999); Banff, Canada (2001); Capri, Italy (2003) and back in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2005. The size of the conference has grown to between 150 and 200 participants.
Concluding remarks from the VII th Conference
The International Conferences on Lactoferrin have been held biennially since 1993. Their primary goal is to bring together researchers representing different perspectives, and from different backgrounds, together with all those who are interested in the applications of this fascinating protein.
In a return to the site of the first two meetings, this VII th International Conference was held in Honolulu, Hawaii, from 16-19 October 2005. Review lectures covering the structure and function of lactoferrin and its antimicrobial peptides, gene regulation, immune modulation, anti-microbial activities and bacterial pathogenesis, provided important background for other, more specific, presentations. Some notable features of this meeting included steady progress in characterising lactoferrin receptors – at last we are beginning to understand its interactions with cells – and some very exciting applications to important aspects of human health. Prominent among these are its anti-cancer activities and its ability to prevent bone loss and promote new growth, relevant to treatment of osteoporosis. It is increasingly evident that lactoferrin can influence the transcription of many other genes, and although the mechanisms are not yet clear, the evidence that it can enter the nucleus has become strong. This would certainly account for the difficulty in fully defining some of its functional effects. A description of lactoferrin in terms of a “Swiss army knife model” (many active sites), a “billiard model” (inducing other proteins to spread out) and “carrier model” (a rocket with many warheads) provided a colourful image of its many activities. One aspect that we may hear much more of in the future is the existence of alternatively-spliced forms of lactoferrin, g-lactoferrin and d-lactoferrin, which deserve more attention in terms of their structure and function. Finally, with bovine lactoferrin widely available through the dairy industries of a number of countries, and with human lactoferrin available from transgenic rice, transgenic cows and fungal expression, interest in its applications is growing rapidly.
Overall, this was an exceptionally good meeting. The venue and size (about 100 participants) allowed for easy interactions, over meals or at the poster sessions, and the combination of broad scientific underpinning, new discoveries, and applications makes a recipe for success. There were even a few “old lags” (who shall remain anonymous) still present from the inaugural meeting !
Special thanks are due to the dynamic duo of Bo Lönnerdal and Tony Schryvers, who organised the conference, with crucial assistance from Toby Taylor and Veronica Lopez. We look forward eagerly to the next meeting, to be held in the South of France, with co-organisers Annick Pierce, Dominique Legrand and Piera Valenti.
Ted Baker - University of Auckland, New Zealand
Some very good memories : Science and Tourism ...
Click on the photos to go to the VII th Lactoferrin Conference Website.
(Photos by D. Legrand)
Abstracts and articles of the VIIth International Conference on Lactoferrin have been published in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Volume 84, Number 3, June 2006.
Contents of BCB vol. 84 (2006) available"
Groet, Jonas