Cardiac Regulatory Mechanisms Bridging the Gap Between Cardiac Pathological Discovery and Clinical Application

The Barriers of the CNS Gordon Research Seminar is an excellent platform for young scientists at the level of post-docs and graduate students and also senior scientists with minimal experience to interact with each other and to meet with experts in the field in a very informal setting. The biennial Barriers of the CNS Gordon Seminar is the only platform in the CNS barriers field dedicated entirely to budding scientists. The 2014 meeting entitled "The neurovascular unit - partners for life" lays special emphasis on transport across neurovascular barriers such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB), blood-retinal barrier. The barriers of the CNS form a vital barrier protecting and maintaining the CNS milieu. The principal barrier is formed by endothelium with support from pericytes and astrocytes. Themes for 2014 meeting include the role of pericytes and astroglia at the BBB followed by mechanisms/regulation of transport across the CNS endothelium - across intercellular junctions and via transcellular membrane transporters. In vitro BBB models and drug delivery strategies across the CNS barriers will also be an important theme.