Pre-SIG Meeting at ARVO 2011

Colleagues:

Please let me know about interest for a pre-SIG meeting at ARVO.  I would prefer to do this at ~7:00a.m., as my schedule during conference hours is usually packed.  Would you feel OK about this?

John Paul

SIG Proposal

The Putative Role of Mitochondria in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Abstract:

It is unknown whether mitochondrial dysfunction, caused by inherited factors or due to aging, is a cause or consequence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Structural and functional alterations in mitochondria and their metabolites have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic neurodegenerative and vascular diseases, yet proteomic and molecular genetic studies in large human cohorts are only now permitting stronger inference on the role of mitochondria in AMD. The purpose of this SIG event is to present extant and emerging findings on mitochondria-AMD relationships in the context of the systems biology which characterizes metabolic and signaling pathways that are active in the retina and altered in people with AMD. Our aim is to formulate a unified hypothesis on the concept of mitochondria-AMD relationships and to discuss the formation of an international research consortium devoted to testing the hypothesis.

M.E. Boulton will summarize the theoretical basis for mitochondrial dysregulation in aging and AMD and moderate the session. M.C. Kenney will discuss results from genomic approaches that implicate mitochondrial involvement. D.A. Ferrington will discuss applications and findings from proteomic studies. J.P. SanGiovanni will discuss an integrated systems approach to inference on AMD-associated metabolic and signaling pathways containing DNA sequence variations in genes encoding mitochondrial proteins.

Order and titles of SIG event presentations:

1. M.E.B.:   Conceptual basis for study of structural and functional alterations in mitochondria and their metabolites in AMD pathogenesis
2. M.C.K.:   Mitochondrial haplogroups and AMD
3. D.A.F.:    Proteomic approaches to the study of mitochondria in AMD
4. J.P.S.G.: Integrated systems approach to the study of mitochondria-driven and -impacted processes in AMD

Anticipated Attendance: 150

Reviewing Code: 112 age-related macular degeneration: translational research – RE
Keywords: 412 age-related macular degeneration Keyword 2: 599 mitochondria 

Organizing Section: RE

Contributing Section(s): CL,RE, BI, CO

Is This a Panel Session?: Yes