Abnormal protein or peptide aggregation plays a central role in diseases that include sickle cell anemia, amyloid diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes, and prion diseases. The discovery of new preventive and therapeutic approaches to protein aggregation diseases would be facilitated by a more detailed understanding of the mechanisms of aggregation at the molecular level. This symposium will present recent progress towards the development of such an understanding. Topics to be discussed will include:

(1) What do we know about the molecular structures of the aggregated states of the relevant proteins? How can we learn more?

(2) How does molecular structural information provide clues about mechanisms of aggregation and disease mechanisms?

(3) How do model systems and in vitro experiments contribute to our understanding of human protein aggregation diseases?

Scientists in the NIH intramural research program dedicate their careers to discovery, uncovering new knowledge that leads to better health for everyone. Most often their work results in scientific publications. Sometimes their work results in patentable discoveries that form the basis for new vaccines, drug products, and devices, among others. These discoveries are transferred to the commercial partners for development into products through the process of technology transfer. Since 1993, the NIH Office of Technology Transfer has signed over 1300 license agreements that govern the terms of commercialization for a particular invention. This symposium will feature current and former NIH investigators whose discoveries have contributed significantly to this NIH public health success story. These scientists will share their journeys, sometimes traveled over serendipitous and difficult roads, from initial discovery to seeing their ideas commercialized into products.

Regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes involves major changes in chromatin structure. Recent studies show that the nucleosome (the chromatin subunit) and its component histones are targets of a wide variety of chemical and structural modifications in vivo, many of them essential to activation or silencing of the associated genes. Speakers in this session report recent discoveries concerning the reactions associated with chromatin remodeling, and studies of elements that can serve as barriers against ‘inappropriate’ external activation or inactivation signals.