Forefronts symposium – covering the hot topics in nephrology
The most recent ISN Forefronts meeting in Shenzhen, China succeeded yet again to spark discussion about some of the most talked about issues in nephrology. Gathering the world’s experts and professionals from kidney-related fields.
Hypertension and vascular disease are both causes and consequences of chronic kidney disease (CKD), connecting heart and kidney, and high morbidity and mortality factors. The link between inflammation in CKD and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is widely recognized, but its pathophysiological basis is still unclear, as is the relationship of inflammation in CKD to the innate and adaptive immune systems, which was a key subject of this particular Forefronts symposium.
Through a series of stimulating presentations by international experts in their respective fields, several important topics were addressed, including recent and significant discoveries in renal and cardiovascular physiology, immunology, and therapeutics. Alterations in the cellular physiology of immune cells can change their phenotype and function (e.g. the link to extracellular sodium), while inflammation and immune cell activation appear to underlie hitherto unrecognized pathophysiological processes such as hypertension and crystal nephropathies (in gout and oxalosis). The importance of the gut microbiome in both metabolic and immune-related diseases is also becoming paramount, as is the circadian clock and its relevance to biological processes like fibrosis.
Delegates, including many young scientists and clinicians received a comprehensive overview of some of the major issues in nephrology and cardiovascular medicine, as well as the latest clinical approaches to complex cardio-renal problems. The symposium program gave a wider perspective on the problems confronting nephrology and how we can learn from other clinical specialties and scientific disciplines in bridging the renal and cardiovascular systems, and their links to the immune system, all underpinned by integrated systems physiology.
According to the event survey, 60% of the participants believed the symposium was excellent and about 38% found it good. Also more than 60% found the scientific program to be excellent. And 100% stated that the scientific content added value to their work.
In recent years, ISN Forefront symposia have covered many hot topics such as systems biology, epigenetics, stems cells and regenerative medicine. These events have brought together scientists from many different disciplines to inform, and promote the exploration of new and innovative areas of kidney-related research, and encourage new collaborations.
For more information about upcoming ISN Forefronts symposia, CLICK HERE.
The next meetings will take place in San Diego, California (Metabolome and Microbiome in Kidney Disease from September 25-26, 2016) and Vienna, Austria (Regulatory RNAs and the kidney from December 9-10, 2016). Stay tuned for more information.
