This meeting "Systems Integration in Directed Cell Motility" will be sponsored by the American Society of Cell Biology (ASCB). Topics of ASCB summer meetings are proposed by ASCB members and selected by a committee based on significance, timeliness, interest, and strengths of the organizers and potential speakers. The meeting will be held at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA on July 27-30, 2005. The directed migration of cells involves the complex coordination of multiple cellular signaling, cytoskeletal and adhesion systems in a self-perpetuating cycle. In the past, many of the systems of the cell motility cycle have, in large part, been studied in isolation. The fruits of these labors have established a broader knowledge base, making cross-talk between these molecular systems evident. As such, understanding how these cellular components are integrated and coordinated needs to be further encouraged. Additionally, there have been great technical advances that have contributed to progress in our understanding of each motility sub-system. For a field currently poised to advance at high speed, it is critical that investigators interact regularly to discuss recent advances vis a vis previous paradigms and future developments. Thus, we have organized a meeting that encourages the cross-fertilization of knowledge from research in each of these areas, with the goal to promote more global thinking about how the mechanical and signaling systems of cell motility are integrated and coordinated. The meeting will include talks on molecular mechanisms, biophysics, and signal transduction, as well as highlights of newly developed technologies that have moved the area along significantly in recent years. The presentations will be delivered by a mixture of invited speakers and speakers selected from submitted abstracts. The latter will be primarily young investigators, while the former will be visionaries giving presentations balanced between new results and general perspectives. Posters sessions will foster one-to-one interactions. Understanding directed cell motility from an integrated perspective is of profound and fundamental importance to many physiological functions and pathological states. A more thorough understanding of the processes involved will impact on multiple health-related issues, such as cancer treatment, wound recovery, and anti-inflammatory therapy.
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