Investigators at the NYU Dysautonomia Center will host the 6th International Congress on Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) on March 1-3 2018. The Congress is held every 2 years to bring together the scientific community to focus on this rare fatal neurodegenerative brain disease.
Roughly 15,000 Americans have MSA, which is a protein misfolding disease that affects largely the white matter cells of the brain and spinal cord. These white matter cells, known as oligodendroglia, play an essential role in the survival of neurons. Once the oligodendroglia die, the neurons start to die. This leads to a rapid progressive loss of balance, cordination, difficulty talking, and failure to control the organs. It has no cure.
The very same protein that misfolds in MSA, kills the grey matter neurons in Parkinson disease. But, in comparison to Parkinson disease, MSA begins at an earlier age, progresses faster, and shortens life expectancy.
Dr. Horacio Kaufmann, Director of the Dysautonomia Center, will Chair the Congress and has assembled an international faculty of expert speakers, including Nobel Prize winning scientist Dr. Stanley Prusiner who will give the plenary lecture. The local organizing committee will include NYU’s Dr. Lucy Norcliffe-Kaufmann and Dr. Jose-Alberto Palma. The agenda will cover MSA from the bench to the bedside and the ongoing challenges.
Tackling the most fatal and rapidly progressive of the synuclein-mediated brain diseases may help find common mechanisms to measure, treat or cure several different neurodegenerative diseases. NYU’s Dysautonomia Center is leading the international effort in MSA research through the Autonomic Disorders Consortium. It is hoped that this collaborative approach will speed up our ability to find potential new treatments.
The Congress will take place at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.
Registration and abstract submissions are now being accepted.
Full information can be found here: https://msa-congress-nyc.com
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