Report from the Program Committee

Dr. Walter Durán

The following information is provided for planning purposes in preparation for the MCS Annual Meeting to be held in New Orleans, LA, April 20-22, 2002. As approved by MCS Council and by the general membership at the Business meeting, MCS will meet in 2002 as a guest society of APS, within the structure of Experimental Biology 2002. Council and membership also approved a motion to discontinue the poster session held on Friday in favor of a closer integration with the EB 2002 scope of poster sessions. The driving rationale for this motion was to enhance and enrich the interactions between MCS scientists and investigators from other societies. As a consequence of this approved motion, MCS poster sessions will be held in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on Sunday, April 21 and Monday, April 22, 2002 from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. each day. The deadline for Abstract submission for EB 2002 is November 7, 2001. Please note that the MCS poster sessions will be listed as a guest society of APS. Members should carefully scroll the Category Codes to identify the session titles for The Microcirculatory Society. The MCS Poster Session Titles or Categories to be offered in the "Call for Abstracts EB 2002" are: 1. Microvascular Cell and Molecular Biology 2. Atherosclerosis/Thrombosis and Clinical Microcirculation 3. Microvascular Pathophysiology 4. Flow regulation; Oxygen Delivery 5. Instrumentation in Microcirculatory Research 6. Microvascular Networks 7. Microvascular Mechanics & Hemodynamics 8. Microvascular Permeability / Exchange 9. Microvascular Pharmacology / Vascular Control 10. Angiogenesis / Microvascular Remodeling   The plans for other MCS functions are also well under way. The APS Joint Program Committee has agreed to include two symposia time slots for MCS: MCS President's Symposium (Saturday, April 20, 2002 from 3:15-5:15p.m.) and MCS Young Investigators Symposium (Sunday, April 21, 2001; 3:15-5:155 p.m.). In addition, we have our regular plenary session to present the Landis Award Lecture (Sunday, April 21, 2002; at 2:00-3:00 p.m.). Ingrid Sarelius has worked diligently on the program for the MCS President's Symposium (see below). David Stepp has been identified as one of the Co-Chairs for the MCS Young Investigators Symposium, an activity that is co-sponsored by the Cardiovascular Section (CVS) of APS. MCS will co-sponsor some of the symposia presented by APS-CVS.   Please find below the schedule and location for the MCS activities planned for EB 2002. MICROCIRCULATORY SOCIETY PRESIDENT'S SYMPOSIUM: SIGNALING IN CELLS OF THE MICROVASCULAR WALL (Sponsored by the Microcirculatory Society) Sat. 3:15-5:15 PM - Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 221-222 Chair: Ingrid Sarelius, Univ of Rochester Med Col Participants: Michael J. Davis. Integrin-mediated control of smooth muscle ion channels. To Be Announced. Calcium waves in blood vessel walls. Ulrich Pohl. Oxidant-dependent signal transduction in microvessel walls. Brian Duling. Gap junction-mediated communication pathways. This symposium will highlight mechanisms of communication between cells of the microvascular wall and/or between the microvascular wall and the surrounding environment. The goal is to highlight recent advances in our understanding of signal transduction in smooth muscle or endothelial cells in the context of how they are reflected in functional responses of intact vessels. MICROCIRCULATORY SOCIETY LANDIS AWARD LECTURE (Sponsored by the Microcirculatory Society) Sun. 2:00-3:00 PM - Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 221-222 Speaker: TBA   MICROCIRCULATORY SOCIETY YOUNG INVESTIGATOR SESSION (Sponsored by The Microcirculatory Society and APS Cardiovascular Section) Sun. 3:15-5:15 PM - Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 210 Co-Chair: David Stepp, Med Col Wisconsin Co-Chair TBA Participants: TBA   The Microcirculatory Society is co-sponsoring the following APS-CV Section programs:   MECHANISMS OF VASCULAR REMODELLING: TEMPORAL EVENTS FROM STIMULUS TO STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES (Sponsored by the APS Cardiovascular Section and The Microcirculatory Society) Mon. 3:15-5:15 PM - Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 221-222 Chair: Michael A. Hill, RMIT University, Australia Co-Chair: Gerald Meininger, The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center Participants: Michael A. Hill. Introduction: Overview of Concepts Concerning Remodeling: Importance of the Temporal View Gerald A. Meininger. Extracellular Matrix and Integrin Interactions: Do Smooth Muscle Cells Move as Part of an Adaptive Remodeling Event? Susan Gunst. Role of Smooth Muscle Cytoskeletal Adaptations to Load as a Mechanism of Remodeling B. Lowell Langille. Signal Cascades Involved in Vascular Cell Remodeling in Response to Physical Forces Russell L. Prewitt. Vascular Remodeling in Hypertension: Vasoconstriction versus Growth Responses Ernesto L. Schiffrin. Functional and Structural Manifestations of Vascular Remodeling Cell signaling within the vascular wall will be highlighted with emphasis on the events that may link the acute vasomotor responses with longer time frame adaptive responses. Coverage will be given, in particular, to the involvement of cell junctions, matrix-integrin interactions and the cytoskeleton. To broaden the interest in the symposium input will be drawn from both the smooth muscle and endothelial fields and responses to both agonist and physical stimuli will be considered.   NEW PARADIGMS IN NEOVASCULARIZATION (Sponsored by the APS Cardiovascular Section and The Microcirculatory Society) Sun. 10:15 AM-12:15 PM - Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 221-222 Chair: Gina C. Schatteman, Univ of Iowa Co-Chair: Takayuki Asahara, St. Elizabeth's Med Ctr, Boston Presenters: Chris Drake. Sources of Embryonic Vasculogenesis Mary Hendrix. Tumor Cell Derived Vasculogenesis Klaus Havemann. Monocytes and New Blood Vessel Growth Daniel Bowen-Pope. Origins of Smooth Muscle Cells after Birth