2013 HA Conference Synopsis
HA2013 (June 2-7, 2017) Oklahoma City, OK, USA
9th International Conference on Hyaluronan
An outstanding conference brought together scientists and clinicians, in academia and the private sector to meet and discuss the highly dynamic and diverse fields of hyaluronan sciences, including basic, clinical and applied research. 240 registrants from 22 countries participated in active poster sessions and attended scientific sessions with Plenary Speakers and short talks invited from submitted posters.
A dedication to the victims of the recent victims of tornados in Oklahoma followed by poignant appreciations of four leaders in our field: John Scott, John Sheehan, Bob Frasier and Dick Heinegard began our meeting.
The Conference celebrated the research contributions of Bryan P. Toole, and several of his former colleagues and trainees sent comments and photos to share.
The scientific sessions included recent developments in:
- Hyaluronan biosynthesis
- Tumor biology and treatment of tumors
- Functions of hyaluronan in cell and organ function, development, aging and differentiation
- Hyaluronan in regenerative medicine, and as medical and surgical devices
- Hyaluronan in cardiovascular, connective tissue and musculoskeletal systems
- Hyaluronan in neural tissues and stem/progenitor cell behavior
- Hyaluronan in inflammation, immunity and treatment of inflammatory diseases
- Emerging hot topics/future directions in the field
An evening Workshop on Characterizing Hyaluronan was well attended and was especially helpful to new investigators in the field of hyaluronan sciences.
The social events introduced us to Western Heritage in the USA – from the viewpoints of Native Americans and Cowboys.