Third International Symposium on Thymosins in Health and Disease to take place on GW campus

George Washington University Medical CenterMar 16 2012

The George Washington University is host to the world's leaders in the area of research that focuses on Thymosins- small proteins present in many animal tissues that have diverse biological activities- Two in particular, thymosins α1 and β4, have potentially important uses in medicine, and research has already progressed from the laboratory to the clinic.

The event is the Third International Symposium on Thymosins in Health and Disease, which is taking place on the GW campus, March 14 - 16.

As part of the symposium, GW will present the 2012 Abraham White Scientific, Humanitarian, and Public Service Awards, which honor individuals who have made unique contributions to science and medicine. Notable past recipients include Nobel laureates Bengt Samuelsson, M.D.; Julius Axelrod, M.D.; Michael Brown, M.D.; Joseph Goldstein, M.D.; and Tim Hunt, Ph.D., in addition to a number of other distinguished scientists.

This evening, the award will be presented to the following awardees:

• Deepak Srivastava, M.D., is being recognized for his pioneering studies and scientific contributions which have significantly advanced our understanding of the role of thymosin β4 in the development and functioning of the human heart.
• Luigina Romani, M.D., Ph.D., is being recognized for her pioneering studies and scientific contributions which have significantly increased our understanding of the molecular mechanism of action of thymosin α1 and its role in modulating toll receptors and immunity.
• Michael Stern, philanthropist, is being recognized posthumously for his lifetime of good deeds supporting and improving Italian-American relations, his journalistic excellence, and his philanthropic endeavors. Stern was a widely published author, producer and his philanthropic work included helping to establish the Intrepid Museum Foundation, thereby raising funds and saving the aircraft carrier Intrepid and creating the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum at Pier 86 on the West Side of Manhattan. The award is received by his daughter, Margaret Stern, who serves as the chair of The Michael Stern Parkinson's Research Foundation.

The symposium is co-hosted by Dr. Allan Goldstein, GW Professor and Emeritus Chairman, and the researcher who discovered the thymosins in the mid 1960s, from investigations of the role of the thymus in development of the vertebrate immune system; and Dr. Enrico Garaci, President of the Instituto Superiore di Sanita and Professor of Microbiology at the University of Rome "Tor Vergata." World renowned leaders in the study of Thymosins are presenting their research in the areas of cardiovascular disease; neurodegenerative diseases and brain trauma; wound healing; immunomodulation, infectious diseases and tolerance; cancer; vaccines and more, are presenting at the meeting.