Diagnosis and Treatment of Radiation Injury
31 August 1998 - 31 August 1998
Netherlands
An international conference "Diagnosis and Treatment of Radiation Injury" will be held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, from 31 August to 3 September 1998. The conference is being jointly organized by the European Commission, the US Department of Energy, the Institut de Protection et de Sûreté Nucléaire and the Institute of Haematology, Erasmus University of Rotterdam.
Exposure of humans to relatively high doses of radiation occurs in medical cancer treatment as well as accidentally, associated with the use of nuclear power, radiation devices and industrial applications of ionizing radiation. Such exposures result in radiation injury, in particular suppression of bone marrow and immune functions, gastro-intestinal damage and other organ damage. Accidental exposures are frequently associated with non-homogenous or partial body irradiation and with high, sometimes extreme, doses to parts of the skin. Diagnosis has to be made rapidly and a treatment strategy designed that aims at alleviation of the acute symptoms as well as prevention of late damage. In the development of treatment strategies, bone marrow transplantation has been largely replaced by growth factor therapy, although the efficacy of the growth factors has not been fully assessed. It is certain that in the higher radiation dose ranges, haemopoietic stem cell transplantation may be life saving.
The conference is directed at the progress made in early diagnosis, with emphasis on molecular approaches, at the new therapeutic modalities, e.g. the haemopoietic growth factor therapy that has become available in the last ten years, and at the recent progress in stem cell biology, ex vivo expansion and transplantation. In addition, novel approaches to diagnosis and treatment of gastro-intestinal and skin injury, the long-term follow-up of irradiated persons, and the effects of chronic radiation exposure will be highlighted.
The seminar programme will include sessions on:
- Molecular and cellular events determining the outcome of ionizing radiation damage;
- Biological dosimetry;
- Treatment of bone marrow syndrome:
. Growth factors and ex vivo expansion;
. Bone marrow versus cord blood stem cells and tissue typing;
- Infections, sepsis, immune reconstitution;
- Diagnosis and treatment of the cutaneous syndrome;
- Diagnostic treatment of gastrointestinal and other acute organ damage;
- Follow-up of irradiated persons, late organ damage;
- Protracted or chronic exposure;
- Practical protocol development for treatment of acute radiation damage;
- Special clinical session on growth factors: results on clinical trials.
Limited funds are available to assist young scientists with the cost of attending the conference. In order to be eligible scientists should be under 35 years of age and have received their most advanced degree in 1991 or later and be currently employed as a graduate student, post-doctoral fellow or research associate, doing research in an area relevant to the topic of the conference. Applications for financial assistance should be made to the Commission before 1 April 1998.
For details of registration and payment, please contact:
European Commission
DG XII - Science, research and development
Dr. A. Karaoglou
Unit XII/F-6 - Radiation Protection Research
200 rue de la Loi (MO75 4/14)
B-1049 Brussels
Tel. +32-2-2965415; Fax +32-2-2966256
E-mail: research@ec.europa.eu
Exposure of humans to relatively high doses of radiation occurs in medical cancer treatment as well as accidentally, associated with the use of nuclear power, radiation devices and industrial applications of ionizing radiation. Such exposures result in radiation injury, in particular suppression of bone marrow and immune functions, gastro-intestinal damage and other organ damage. Accidental exposures are frequently associated with non-homogenous or partial body irradiation and with high, sometimes extreme, doses to parts of the skin. Diagnosis has to be made rapidly and a treatment strategy designed that aims at alleviation of the acute symptoms as well as prevention of late damage. In the development of treatment strategies, bone marrow transplantation has been largely replaced by growth factor therapy, although the efficacy of the growth factors has not been fully assessed. It is certain that in the higher radiation dose ranges, haemopoietic stem cell transplantation may be life saving.
The conference is directed at the progress made in early diagnosis, with emphasis on molecular approaches, at the new therapeutic modalities, e.g. the haemopoietic growth factor therapy that has become available in the last ten years, and at the recent progress in stem cell biology, ex vivo expansion and transplantation. In addition, novel approaches to diagnosis and treatment of gastro-intestinal and skin injury, the long-term follow-up of irradiated persons, and the effects of chronic radiation exposure will be highlighted.
The seminar programme will include sessions on:
- Molecular and cellular events determining the outcome of ionizing radiation damage;
- Biological dosimetry;
- Treatment of bone marrow syndrome:
. Growth factors and ex vivo expansion;
. Bone marrow versus cord blood stem cells and tissue typing;
- Infections, sepsis, immune reconstitution;
- Diagnosis and treatment of the cutaneous syndrome;
- Diagnostic treatment of gastrointestinal and other acute organ damage;
- Follow-up of irradiated persons, late organ damage;
- Protracted or chronic exposure;
- Practical protocol development for treatment of acute radiation damage;
- Special clinical session on growth factors: results on clinical trials.
Limited funds are available to assist young scientists with the cost of attending the conference. In order to be eligible scientists should be under 35 years of age and have received their most advanced degree in 1991 or later and be currently employed as a graduate student, post-doctoral fellow or research associate, doing research in an area relevant to the topic of the conference. Applications for financial assistance should be made to the Commission before 1 April 1998.
For details of registration and payment, please contact:
European Commission
DG XII - Science, research and development
Dr. A. Karaoglou
Unit XII/F-6 - Radiation Protection Research
200 rue de la Loi (MO75 4/14)
B-1049 Brussels
Tel. +32-2-2965415; Fax +32-2-2966256
E-mail: research@ec.europa.eu