Reporter: Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN
Harnessing New Players in Atherosclerosis to Treat Heart Disease
Tuesday, September 24, 2013 | 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
The New York Academy of Sciences
Presented by the Biochemical Pharmacology Discussion Group
Atherosclerosis is defined as a chronic inflammatory disease affecting arterial blood vessels involving dysregulation of the endothelial-leukocyte adhesive interactions, increased leukocyte apoptosis within the plaque, and defective phagocytosis of apoptotic cells. Despite the key role of monocytes/macrophages in atherosclerosis, mounting evidence suggests that dysregulation of other cell types may be independent risk factors for atherosclerosis. Leukocytes are produced daily and are derived from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells within the bone marrow in a process call hematopoiesis. A better understanding of this process will open an avenue to identify new targets to fight atherosclerosis.
*Reception to follow.
Organizers
Mercedes Beyna, MS
Pfizer Global Research and Development
Nadeem Sarwar, PhD
Pfizer Global Research and Development
Laurent Yvan-Charvet, PhD
INSERM U1065/UNS, C3M
Jennifer Henry, PhD
The New York Academy of Sciences
Speakers
Elena V. Galkina, MD, PhD
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Emmanuel L. Gautier, PhD
Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis
Klaus Ley, MD
La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology
Andrew H. Lichtman, MD, PhD
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Kathryn J. Moore, PhD
New York University Medical Center
Matthias Nahrendorf, MD, PhD
Harvard Medical School
Alan R. Tall, MD, PhD
Columbia University Medical Center
http://www.nyas.org/Events/Detail.aspx?cid=1103f191-2d94-4f37-b91f-64293dc88019
This is very insightful. There is no doubt that there is the bias you refer to. 42 years ago, when I was postdocing in biochemistry/enzymology before completing my residency in pathology, I knew that there were very influential mambers of the faculty, who also had large programs, and attracted exceptional students. My mentor, it was said (although he was a great writer), could draft a project on toilet paper and call the NIH. It can’t be true, but it was a time in our history preceding a great explosion. It is bizarre for me to read now about eNOS and iNOS, and about CaMKII-á, â, ã, ä – isoenzymes. They were overlooked during the search for the genome, so intermediary metabolism took a back seat. But the work on protein conformation, and on the mechanism of action of enzymes and ligand and coenzyme was just out there, and became more important with the research on signaling pathways. The work on the mechanism of pyridine nucleotide isoenzymes preceded the work by Burton Sobel on the MB isoenzyme in heart. The Vietnam War cut into the funding, and it has actually declined linearly since.
A few years later, I was an Associate Professor at a new Medical School and I submitted a proposal that was reviewed by the Chairman of Pharmacology, who was a former Director of NSF. He thought it was good enough. I was a pathologist and it went to a Biochemistry Review Committee. It was approved, but not funded. The verdict was that I would not be able to carry out the studies needed, and they would have approached it differently. A thousand young investigators are out there now with similar letters. I was told that the Department Chairmen have to build up their faculty. It’s harder now than then. So I filed for and received 3 patents based on my work at the suggestion of my brother-in-law. When I took it to Boehringer-Mannheim, they were actually clueless.
This is very insightful. There is no doubt that there is the bias you refer to. 42 years ago, when I was postdocing in biochemistry/enzymology before completing my residency in pathology, I knew that there were very influential mambers of the faculty, who also had large programs, and attracted exceptional students. My mentor, it was said (although he was a great writer), could draft a project on toilet paper and call the NIH. It can’t be true, but it was a time in our history preceding a great explosion. It is bizarre for me to read now about eNOS and iNOS, and about CaMKII-á, â, ã, ä – isoenzymes. They were overlooked during the search for the genome, so intermediary metabolism took a back seat. But the work on protein conformation, and on the mechanism of action of enzymes and ligand and coenzyme was just out there, and became more important with the research on signaling pathways. The work on the mechanism of pyridine nucleotide isoenzymes preceded the work by Burton Sobel on the MB isoenzyme in heart. The Vietnam War cut into the funding, and it has actually declined linearly since.
A few years later, I was an Associate Professor at a new Medical School and I submitted a proposal that was reviewed by the Chairman of Pharmacology, who was a former Director of NSF. He thought it was good enough. I was a pathologist and it went to a Biochemistry Review Committee. It was approved, but not funded. The verdict was that I would not be able to carry out the studies needed, and they would have approached it differently. A thousand young investigators are out there now with similar letters. I was told that the Department Chairmen have to build up their faculty. It’s harder now than then. So I filed for and received 3 patents based on my work at the suggestion of my brother-in-law. When I took it to Boehringer-Mannheim, they were actually clueless.