Stress down south: meeting report of the fifth International Workshop on the Molecular Biology of Stress Responses

Abstract

Since their initial discovery in the early 1960s, heat shock proteins (Hsps) have been implicated in the response to a variety of stressors and pathological conditions. In addition, they have been found to play a major role in several cellular processes during normal conditions. Particular interest has been directed at the role of Hsps in protein folding. Recently, Hsps have also been found to interact with lipids modulating vesicle trafficking. Similarly, research on Hsps has been centered on their capacity to protect cells and confer tolerance to subsequent insults. Moreover, Hsps have been found to regulate the immune response when these proteins leave their natural intracellular environment and appear in circulation. The role of Hsps in many diseases is “in crecento.” Thus, they are an important factor involved in Alzheimer, Huntington, and Parkinson diseases; cancer; autoimmunity; and many other conditions (De Maio 1999; Multhoff 2002). The attention on Hsps has been shared both by countries that use a good portion of their gross national product to finance research and by less-developed nations with fewer scientific resources. Even with this global interest, the participation at international meetings tends to lean heavily toward individuals from developed countries rather than nations in development. In an effort to reduce this imbalance, Professors S.C. Lakhotia (Varanasi, India) and W. Schumann (Bayreuth, Germany) organized the first workshop on the Molecular Biology of Stress Responses at Banaras University in Varanasi, India, in 1997 (Csermely and Lakhotia 1998). The idea behind this initial workshop was to bring state-of-the-art research to those investigators that would normally miss out on participating in international meetings because of a lack of resources. The workshop was a success and was soon followed by sibling events in Wuhan, China, in 1999, organized by Tangchun Wu; Mendoza, Argentina, in 2001, organized by Daniel Ciocca (Grover 2002); and Wuhan/ Yichang, China, in 2004, again organized by Tangchun Wu (Currie et al 2004). The fifth International Workshop on the Molecular Biology of Stress Responses was held in Concepcion, Chile, 21–25 March 2006. Sponsored by The Cell Stress Society International, the workshop was organized by Antonio De Maio (University of California, San Diego, USA), Sandra Nicovani (Universidad Santo Tomas, Chile), Virginia Vega (University of California, San Diego, USA), and Robert Tanguay (Universite Laval, Canada) under the auspices of the University of Concepcion, with particular support from the vice-chancellor's office (Vice-rector Administrativo). Located in the southern part of the country, Concepcion is the second largest city in Chile and was the perfect setting for a heated workshop. With temperatures up to 30°C (86°F), the weather was fantastic for what was Chile's early autumn. The Chilean people were friendly and gracious and the Chilean food was delicious. Perhaps inspired by the sunny weather, warm hospitality, and great eating, participants and speakers kept things heated inside the workshop with a series of hot discussions. The aim of the workshop was to discuss progress on basic research and medical applications of the stress response, and it examined the biological roles and functions of nearly all Hsps. With over 100 registered participants from 17 countries—half of whom were from Latin America—and heavy participation of students, the workshop was a diverse forum for discussion. To increase the interaction between students and invited speakers, a lunch was organized as a casual way for the students and speakers to mingle and chat. In addition, many participants flew into Chile's capital city, Santiago, and enjoyed an organized bus tour to Concepcion that included a lunch stop at the prestigious Chilean vinery, Miguel Torres. The formal workshop was preceded by a tutorial (preworkshop) to introduce the basic concepts of heat shock protein biology to newcomers to the field. Speakers in this preworkshop were Antonio De Maio, Linda Hendershot, Ivor Benjamin, David Smith, Jacques Landry, and Andrei Laszlo. The workshop was initiated Tuesday night by words from the University Vice Chancellor, Ernesto Figeroa; Larry Hightower, founding president of the society and editor-in-chief of the journal Cell Stress and Chaperone; and Antonio De Maio, representing the organizing committee. The opening ceremony concluded with a reception and a splendid display of typical Chilean folk dances performed by the group Huenuican (a word from the mapuche language meaning “to be friends with”), which was composed of students from the University of Concepcion.