the International Meeting on Cholinesterases-Sixth International

The 12th International Meeting on Cholinesterases and Sixth International Conference on Paraoxonases

Organizers:   Jorge Estevez , Miguel Angel Sogorb, Eugenio Vilanova
Toxicology Unit . Institute of Bioengineering, University Miguel Hernández of Elche (Alicante, Spain)

Technical Secretariat:  VIAJES HISPANIA (congresos@viajeshispania.es) (Go CONTACT)

Important dates:

– April 30th 2015 – Deadline for abstracts submission

– May 31th 2015 – Last day for Early Bird registration rates

– September 21th 2015 – Last day for online registration

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARDS

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Background

Since their discovery in the 1930s, the enzymes belonging to the cholinesterase family (ChEs), acetylcholinesterase (AChE, EC 3.1.1.7) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE, EC 3.1.1.8), have been in focus of many studies in biochemistry, physiology, biomedicine and toxicology. The main physiological role of AChE is to hydrolyse acetylcholine released into the synapse as a neurotransmitter. Its inhibition by neurotoxicants, i.e: organophosphorus compounds (OP) cause cholinergic toxic effects. Enzymes hydrolysing OPs, named paraoxonase and DFP-ase, hydrolyse OP compounds and thereby may act as antidotes against OP poisoning. Other physiological and toxicological roles of cholinesterases are the focus of current research as well as other esterase proteins different to cholinesterases and paraoxonase.

In 2015 the “12th International Meeting on Cholinesterases” and the “Sixth International Conference on Paraoxonase” are going to celebrate as a join meeting in Elche (Alicante, Spain). This international meeting is structured by six scientific sessions (along 5 days). Posters, long lectures of the invited speakers and other shorter talks selected from the abstract received will be presented. The Organizing Committee is advised by an International Scientific Committee of researchers from different countries which are directly involved in the scientific program. Their International Boards of 25 and 16 members are supporting the meeting and advising for the scientific program.

The cholinesterase and PON previous meetings

The International Conference on Paraoxonase is a biennial event that began in 2004 as a forum for scientists and clinicians from around the world, to share and discuss their research and results on this family of enzymes. Previous conferences were held at the University of Michigan (USA), the University of Debrecen (Hungary), the University of California (USA), Centre de Recerca Biomedica (Spain), and The Ohio State University (USA), reflecting the truly international spread of research groups working to understand the paraoxonases. Cholinesterase meetings have been regularly organized for more than thirty years in different countries all around the world. The firsts were held in Yugoslavia (1975 and 1983), then in France (1990), Israel (1992), India (1994), USA (1998), Chile (2002), Italy (2004), China (2007), Croatia (2009) and the last one in Russia (2012. Each of these meetings was a great opportunity for scientists in the field of cholinesterases and enzymes reacting with organophosphates to present their results, compare hypotheses, establish collaborations, and undertake projects in new directions. These two meetings had been done regularly every 2-3 years with join participation of researchers from several countries.

The meeting will include invited conferences and free communication (oral and poster) in any issue related with cholinesterases, paraoxonases and related esterases and proteins dealing with their different aspects (i.e: structure, function, biology, pharmacology, toxicology, therapy, forensy, related diseases, epidemiology) and different approaches (i.e: basic experimental molecular-cellular research, in vivo studies, human clinical or epidemiological studies). Posters will be exposed during all the meeting in the same area for the coffee break.

Previous ChE meeting: 11ChE Kazan (2012)   Previous PON meetings: 5PON (Ohio)