
Fibrosis: Therapeutic Target or Inevitable Outcome?
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Fibrosis is a common feature of chronic organ injury and leads to progressive life-threatening diseases. Fibrotic diseases of different organs (kidney, heart, lung, and liver) represent increasingly high unmet medical need. Mechanisms currently under evaluation as anti-fibrotic therapies include targeting inflammation, growth factors, epigenetics, and collagen biogenesis. Despite experimental successes, anti-fibrotic drug development is challenging, and so far unsuccessful. This invites the questions: is fibrosis a potent contributor to disease progression or an adaptive mechanism; can the fibrotic process be stopped, or more ideally, reversed? Is prevention the key, or are alternative strategies that aim to target regenerative approaches and restore the balance between structure and function viable? Does the fibrotic process have organ specific components or we are facing a common enemy? For future success anti-fibrotic strategies will have to develop new paradigms to overcome the limitations which hinder the development of effective therapies.
The prolonged natural history of the disease, the complex interaction between dynamically transforming cell populations, and the currently used endpoints are difficult to capture within the time and economic constraints of most clinical trials. Today it is increasingly possible to discover and validate novel molecules or pathways involved in fibrogenesis by employing diverse animal models and new genetic technologies. There have also been significant technical advancements in the area of noninvasive fibrosis assessment that may change the black box nature of the currently used clinical development endpoints. This symposium will review the mechanistic link between fibrosis and disease and explore ways to use biomarkers and imaging to translate laboratory results into clinical success.
Registration and Webinar Pricing
Member | $30 |
Student/Postdoc Member | $15 |
Nonmember (Academia) | $65 |
Nonmember (Corporate) | $85 |
Nonmember (Non-profit) | $65 |
Nonmember (Student / Postdoc / Resident / Fellow) | $45 |
The Biochemical Pharmacology Discussion Group is proudly supported by
Mission Partner support for the Frontiers of Science program provided by 
Agenda
* Presentation titles and times are subject to change.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 | |
8:15 AM | Registration and continental breakfast |
8:45 AM | Welcome and Introduction |
9:00 AM | Thrombin: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Scleroderma Interstitial Lung Disease |
9:40 AM | Organ Fibrosis: Mechanism and Molecular Connection to Cancer |
10:20 AM | Coffee break |
10:50 AM | Pericytes in Driving Multiple Organ Fibrosis |
11:30 AM | The Role of Epithelial Cells and New Epithelial Targets for Fibrosis Treatment |
12:10 PM | Lunch break |
1:10 PM | Translational Value of the Bleomycin Rat Model for the Treatment of Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) |
1:50 PM | ECM and Related Molecules as Biomarkers for Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis |
2:30 PM | Coffee break |
3:00 PM | Energy Sensing and Renal Fibrosis |
3:40 PM | Important Role of mTORC2-mediated Sustained PKC Activation in Fibroblast Migration and Pulmonary Fibrosis |
4:20 PM | Panel Discussion: 'Similarities and Differences Between the Mechanisms of Fibrosis Across Different Organs' |
5:00 PM | Closing remarks: Katalin Kauser, MD, PhD, DSc Networking reception |
6:00 PM | Close |
Speakers
Organizers
Katalin Kauser, MD, PhD, DSc
Bayer Healthcare
Dr. Katalin Kauser is currently Vice President at Bayer HealthCare Ltd. heading the Hematology Research Department in Mission Bay, San Francisco, California. Prior to joining Bayer she was Vice President at Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. leading the Cardiovascular Pharmacology Department in Allschwill, Switzerland. She also held positions at Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceutical Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut, as a Director of the Cardiovascular Research Department, and leading the worldwide collaborative preclinical research activities for BI's marketed angiotensin receptor inhibitor, Micardis.
Prior to moving to the East Coast, Dr. Kauser was a Scientific Unit Head in Gene Therapy Research, and the Head of the Regenerative Research Unit at the Cardiovascular Department at Berlex Biosciences, Richmond, California. Dr. Kauser is a graduate of Semmelweis Medical University, Budapest, Hungary, and a post-doctoral fellow of the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Throughout her carrier she has been interested in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular remodeling, the balance between fibrotic changes and regenerative mechanisms, and the understanding of the importance and cross-talk between structural and functional components of the cardiovascular system. She has been recognized for her research in vascular biology especially in the field of endothelial dysfunction and endothelial nitric oxide synthase regulation bridging from physiology to regenerative medicine applications. Her research has contributed to the understanding of gender differences in endothelial function, cardiovascular protection by steroid hormones, and to new strategies towards novel cardiovascular therapeutic approaches including gene therapy and cell therapy using adult bone marrow derived progenitor cells.
In 2007 Dr. Kauser co-edited a volume of the book series Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, entitled Bone Marrow-Derived Progenitors. In addition to her MD degree in 1986, Dr. Kauser received her PhD degree in Physiology in 1991, and a Doctor of Science degree in 2005 from the Hungarian Academy of Science.
Scott MacDonnell, PhD
Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals
Dr. Scott MacDonnell obtained his undergraduate and master’s degrees in exercise physiology from the University of Delaware and completed his doctoral work in cardiovascular physiology at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Temple University Medical School in the lab of Dr. Steve Houser. His fellowship research focused on identifying mechanisms responsible for the pathogenesis of heart failure. Specifically, his work examined the role of CaMKII in altered contractility, myocytes apoptosis, and transcriptional regulation associated with heart failure progression. This work has been published in Circulation Research and recognized as a best manuscript by the editorial board in 2010. Additionally, Scott was recognized by the International Society for Heart Research and awarded the young investigator of the year in 2008. Scott currently works as a principal scientist at Boehringer Ingelheim within the department of CardioMetabolic Disease Research. His research is focused on identifying novel therapeutic treatment options for chronic kidney disease, heart failure, and fibrosis.
Silvia Pomposiello, PhD
F. Hoffmann-La Roche
Carolyn Foster, PhD
Jennifer Henry, PhD
The New York Academy of Sciences
Speakers
Yasmina Bauer, PhD
Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Yasmina Bauer graduated from the University of Brittany (France) with a major in molecular microbiology and completed her master degree in the Biotechnology Research Institute of Novartis, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (USA). During her PhD she discovered novel mechanisms of polarized growth in the lab of Prof. Peter Philippsen at the Biocenter Basel (Switzerland), using genomics and cell biology tools. Following a postdoctoral position at the Biocenter / Basel (Switzerland), she joined the biotechnology company Morphochem (Basel, Switzerland), where she established a DNA microarray facility for chemical genomics. In 2004 she joined Actelion Pharmaceuticals (Allschwil, Switzerland) as a lab head in the drug discovery department. She established a genomics core unit dedicated to pharmacogenomics and toxicogenomics. Today her work is focused on biomarker discovery using genomics and systems biology tools. Over the past years she has worked on the discovery and characterization of biomarkers related to Lung disease, Cardiovascular Disease & Fibrosis.
Jeremy S. Duffield, MD, PhD
University of Washington
Jeremy is a Physician Scientist who graduated from Oxford and Edinburgh Universities, UK. After setting up his own lab as Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School he moved to University of Washington, Seattle as Associate Professor of Medicine & Pathology and established NIDDK Investigator at the Institute of Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, and Center for Lung Biology. He is also a member the Kidney Research Institute. His Laboratory is focused on the role of innate immune response cells, monocytes, in injury and repair and on the role of pericytes in microvascular remodeling and fibrosis.
Dr. Duffield is a recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the British Renal Association (2001) and Medical Research Society (2002), NIDDK Young Investigator/Scholar Award (2010) and the American Society of Nephrology Young Investigator Award 2013. In 2011 he became an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation. He also serves on scientific study sections at the NIDDK/NHLBI and the Scientific Advisory Boards of Promedior Inc. and Regulus Therapeutics; companies dedicated to the development of anti-fibrotic therapies. He practices Nephrology part-time at University of Washington Medical Center with special interests in Systemic Lupus Erythematosis, Systemic Vasculitis and Pregnancy related kidney disorders. In his 'spare' time he races bicycles, climbs mountains, skis, plays tennis, grows organic vegetables, looks after children (his own) and fixes things that are broken.
Raghu Kalluri, MD, PhD
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Marco Prunotto, PhD
F. Hoffmann-La Roche
Kumar Sharma, MD
University of California, San Diego
Dr. Sharma is the Director of the Center for Renal Translational Medicine and Institute for Metabolomic Medicine and Professor of Medicine at UCSD in San Diego. Dr. Sharma has had a dedicated and consistent translational approach for diabetic complications for the past 15 years and has expertise in developing phenotype analysis using imaging, molecular and biochemical methods, genomics, microarray, proteomics and metabolomics. His group has had numerous studies linking clinical phenotypes of patients with genomics and biomarkers. His recent studies have employed novel imaging and systems biology approaches to understand novel mechanisms related to obesity-related complications, diabetic kidney disease and novel therapies.
His work has had a major impact in the field with respect to novel anti-fibrotic therapies for chronic kidney disease and his group has recently completed a multi-center NIH funded clinical trial with an oral anti-fibrotic agent. His major focus in the past few years has been to develop novel biomarkers for chronic kidney disease and diabetic complications with major new funding from the NIH. In particular, recent metabolomic studies in humans have led to novel insights into the pathogenesis of diabetic complications and the role of the kidney in energy metabolism.
Richard M. Silver, MD
Medical University of South Carolina
Dr. Richard Silver is the Director of the Division of Rheumatology & Immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Dr. Silver completed training in Internal Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He trained in Pediatric Rheumatology at London’s Northwick Park Hospital and Adult Rheumatology at the University of California at San Diego. Dr. Silver joined the MUSC faculty in 1981, where currently he is Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics. In 2007, MUSC’s Board of Trustees named him a “Master Teacher” and bestowed the University’s highest academic recognition, Distinguished University Professor. He was named “Doctor of the Year” in 2007 by the Scleroderma Foundation. His major clinical and research interests are systemic sclerosis and interstitial lung disease.
Eric S. White, MD
University of Michigan Medical School
Eric S. White, MD is Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School. Dr. White’s clinical focus is on patients with interstitial lung diseases, such as IPF, sarcoidosis, and connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease. His lab studies fibroblast biology and the basic underpinnings of fibrotic lung disease, mechanisms of lung regeneration, and biomarkers in interstitial lung disease and other fibrotic disorders. Dr. White is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Drews Sarcoidosis Research Fund at the University of Michigan, and the Quest for Breath/Martin Edward Galvin Fund for Pulmonary Fibrosis Research at the University of Michigan.
Dianqing (Dan) Wu, PhD
Yale University
Dr. Dianqing (Dan) Wu is currently a Professor at the Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine. He is also a member of the Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale Cancer Center, and Yale Stem Cell Center. He got his BS in Nanjing University, China, in 1985 and his PhD with Dr. Gordon Sato at Clarkson University-W. Alton Jones Cell Science Center, New York, in 1991. He received his postdoctoral training with Dr. Melvin I. Simon at Caltech between 1991 and 1994. He started his independent research career as an assistant professor at the University of Rochester in 1994 and was promoted to associate professor in 1998. He relocated to the University of Connecticut Health Center in 2000 and was promoted to professor in 2004. In 2006, he moved to his current position at Yale Medical School. His research interests focus on signaling mechanisms for Wnt and chemoattractants and their functions in a broad range of biological and pathophysiological processes. He will present the recent progress in his laboratory on the characterization of a novel mTORC2-mediated persistent PKC activation mechanism that is important for fibroblast migration and lung fibrosis development.
Sponsors
Bronze Sponsor
Academy Friends
Promotional Partners
This symposium has been endorsed by the American Thoracic Society.
The Biochemical Pharmacology Discussion Group is proudly supported by
Mission Partner support for the Frontiers of Science program provided by 
Abstracts
Thrombin: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Scleroderma Interstitial Lung Disease
Richard M. Silver, Medical University of South Carolina
Pericytes in Driving Multiple Organ Fibrosis
Jeremy S. Duffield, University of Washington
Translational Value of the Bleomycin Rat Model for the Treatment of Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)
Yasmina Bauer, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd
The temporal development of gene expression signatures was then investigated. A pronounced inflammatory response was detected at day 3, which was followed by a transient fibrogenic phase with peak signatures at week 2. Beyond week 2, the pro-fibrotic signatures decreased and only a few genes remained differentially expressed. The best correlation of gene expression signatures between human IPF and the bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis model was observed in animals 1 week after bleomycin instillation. Furthermore, several disease-relevant translational markers were identified and these might offer new possibilities to evaluate efficacy of novel therapeutic concepts in this preclinical model and human clinical trials.
ECM and Related Molecules as Biomarkers for Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Eric S. White, University of Michigan Medical School
Energy Sensing and Renal Fibrosis
Kumar Sharma, MD, University of California, San Diego
Important Role of mTORC2-mediated Sustained PKC Activation in Fibroblast Migration and Pulmonary Fibrosis
Dianqing (Dan) Wu, Yale University School of Medicine
Travel & Lodging
Our Location
The New York Academy of Sciences
7 World Trade Center
250 Greenwich Street, 40th floor
New York, NY 10007-2157
212.298.8600
Hotels Near 7 World Trade Center
Recommended partner hotel
Club Quarters, World Trade Center
140 Washington Street
New York, NY 10006
Phone: 212.577.1133
The New York Academy of Sciences is a member of the Club Quarters network, which offers significant savings on hotel reservations to member organizations. Located opposite Memorial Plaza on the south side of the World Trade Center, Club Quarters, World Trade Center is just a short walk to the Academy.
Use Club Quarters Reservation Password NYAS to reserve your discounted accommodations online.
Other nearby hotels
212.693.2001 | |
212.385.4900 | |
212.269.6400 | |
212.742.0003 | |
212.232.7700 | |
212.747.1500 | |
212.344.0800 |