Annual Congress Vienna 2009

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EU Research Programmes: 1.GABRIEL 2.EvA 3.COPACETIC

Symposium
Chairs: P. Helms (Aberdeen, United Kingdom), L. M. Fabbri (Modena, Italy)
Aims: 1. GABRIEL: The audience will better understand the role of genetic and environmental factors and their interactions for the development of asthma.
2. EvA: The audience should know at the end of the presentation that COPD consists of disctint sub-phenotypes that have different pathophysiologies and may be governed by different genes; what approaches can be used to define these sub-phenotypes; which strategy the EvA study uses for identification of these genes.
3. COPACETIC: To generate new knowledge on the pathogenesis of COPD. Knowledge that provides insight in the individual susceptibility to develop COPD and thus explains why ?only? about 25 percent of all smokers will develop COPD. Knowledge that provides more insight in the critical biochemical pathways that are involved in airway obstruction and loss of lung tissue. Knowledge that also will make it possible to diagnose COPD more accurately and in earlier stage. And, last but not least, knowledge that will give direction to effective interventions for the prevention of COPD.

The environmental determinants of asthma D. Heederik (Utrecht, The Netherlands)
The EvA-Study: Markers of emphysema versus airway disease in COPD L. Ziegler-Heitbrock (Gauting, Germany)
Basic concepts and design of COPACETIC P. Zanen (Utrecht , Netherlands)