Nuclear Receptors in Liver and Digestive Diseases: A Research Workshop

Sponsored by: Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (DEM) and
Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition (DDN)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Description of the Meeting:

The nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily of transcriptional regulators has been integrally involved in the regulation of a variety of genes related to such diverse cellular and systems processes as the control of development to the regulation of bile acid and cholesterol biosynthesis. Disruption of the NR signaling pathways has been implicated in a variety of disease states such as diabetes, obesity, liver diseases such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and other endocrine-related disorders. Many of the NR-implicated liver diseases are areas of high priority for research as outlined in the Trans-NIH Action Plan for Liver Disease Research (http://www.niddk.nih.gov/fund/divisions/ddn/ldrb/ldrb_action_plan.htm). Additionally, the NIDDK has recognized the importance of NRs in a variety of disease states and currently supports the Nuclear Receptor Signaling Atlas (http://www.nursa.org/index.cfm), an open access web portal for information about the NR superfamily.
This meeting will bring together scientists focused on the mechanisms and basic science of NR transcriptional regulation and translational and clinical investigators focused on the pathophysiology of digestive and liver disease states where an NR pathway has been implicated. Two keynote talks will cover the current basic understanding of NR regulation and the potential role of NR signaling dysregulation in the pathophysiology of disease conditions. Other talks will explore the known physiologic roles of ligands and receptors, such as sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), retinoid X receptor (RXR), liver X receptor (LXR), and small heterodimer partner (SHP), and their downstream signaling in normal and in specific clinical conditions. The signaling mechanisms implicated in the development of obesity, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, diabetes, bile acid and cholesterol synthesis dysregulation, and so on, also will be explored.
The aim of this meeting is to review the present state-of-the art knowledge of NRs, to promote cross-fertilization among the spectrum of basic, translational, and clinical investigators, and to integrate the current understanding of NR biology and the current clinical challenges for a variety of digestive and liver disease states. At the conclusion of the meeting, the organizers will define research challenges identified during the meeting. A meeting summary manuscript, including the research challenges identified, will be submitted for publication.

Organizers:

Edward Doo, Liver Disease Research Branch (LDRB), DDN, NIDDK
Ronald Evans, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Saul Karpen, Baylor College of Medicine
Joel Lavine, University of California at San Diego
Ronald Margolis, DEM, NIDDK
Patricia Robuck, LDRB, DDN, NIDDK