The upcoming Chorea-Acanthocytosis and Intracellular Transport Meeting, set for 13-15 May 2016 in Michigan, comes at a time when ChAc research is at an important juncture.

Interesting recent results on VPS13A structure and function indicate the prospect of considerable progress in understanding ChAc pathogenesis. Members of this gene family are also implicated in other neurodegenerative diseases. Considering the growth in understanding intracellular transport processes, and the increasingly strong links between these processes and neurodegenerative disease, progress in understanding ChAc pathogenesis and the function of VPS13A may cast light on both the pathogenesis of other neurodegenerative disorders and the cell biology of intracellular transport.

The aims of the meeting are to accelerate progress in understanding ChAc pathogenesis by promoting interdisciplinary collaboration between basic scientists studying intracellular transport, and translational and clinical researchers studying ChAc; to identify critical research goals for the field; and to recruit new investigators into ChAc-related research.

This meeting is being supported financially by the University of Michigan School of Medicine and the Rackham School of Graduate Studies, the Departments of Neurology and Biological Chemistry, philanthropy, and a grant from the Advocacy for Neuroacanthocytosis Patients.

More details on the current schedule can be viewed here