Please join us for the Annual Meeting of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) and the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ASVCP) in Atlanta, Georgia, during November 8–12, 2014. This year is special because it will be our first joint meeting with the American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP), a professional organization of medical pathologists and biomedical researchers also interested in the pathogenesis of disease. Accordingly, we have selected topics of interest to the broader biomedical community and have a lineup of dynamic speakers.
Plenary Session
Our plenary session is focused on the exciting new medical frontier known as Systems Biology. Rather than studying the role of a single pathway in a disease process, Systems Biology approaches the problem from a holistic, nonbiased view. Diseased and control cells or tissues are compared in terms of DNA sequence or epigenetic alterations, protein, messenger RNA (mRNA), and/or microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns to uncover differences in the diseased state, and this information is then used to elucidate the underlying pathogenesis. It is likely that pathologists of tomorrow will spend as much time crunching Systems Biology data as they do gazing into the microscope. This is our opportunity to jump on the crest of the wave.
Dr Eric Schadt, Professor and Chair of the Genetics and Genomic Sciences Department at Mount Sinai Hospital, will introduce the topic. Dr Schadt is an entertaining speaker and has the ability to present this complex field in a way that the rest of us mere mortals can understand. Although Systems Biology sounds futuristic, this approach is currently in use at the University of Michigan, and Dr Arul Chinnaiyan will describe his use of Systems Biology data to make clinical decisions about patients with prostate cancer. Subsequently, Dr Donald Ingber from the Wyss Institute will present a session entitled “Systems Biology of Cancer: From Cause to Therapy.” Systems Biology can also be used to understand normal physiologic processes, and Dr Ursula Klingmuller from the German Cancer Research Center will deliver a visually rich presentation, demonstrating the use of Systems Biology to study liver regeneration.
Concurrent Sessions
Our Comparative Mouse Pathology session will feature Dr Bob Cardiff from the School of Medicine at UC Davis who will discuss how mouse studies help us understand human disease. Dr Piper Treuting will compare and contrast the histology of human and murine tissues to help attendees avoid the ever-embarrassing “you mean, that’s normal?” Dr Cory Brayton will discuss methods to phenotype genetically modified mice, and Dr Kelli Boyd will focus on selecting the correct mouse strain for your experiments.
Our Epithelial/Mucosal Cell Pathobiology session will feature Dr Timothy Denning from Georgia State University who will discuss how antigen-presenting cells drive T-cell responses during intestinal inflammation, and Dr Andrew Neish from Emory University will prepare you for your next trip abroad by focusing on host-microbe interactions in the gut. Dr Asma Nusrat from Emory University will discuss gut epithelial biology and pathogen recognition, and Dr Scott Hadley from the Washington University School of Medicine will talk about the primate enteric virome in health and disease.
Our session on the Pathophysiology of Sepsis, SIRS, and MODS will feature talks by experts Dr Daniel Remick from the Boston University School of Medicine and Dr Jonathan Sevransky from Emory University. In addition, Dr Michelle Barton from the University of Georgia will discuss endotoxemia in the context of the worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaboration and communication to all aspects of health care for humans and animals known as “One Health.”
The Equine Pathology session will feature Dr Carney Jackson from the Kentucky Diagnostic Laboratory who will discuss equine gastrointestinal and liver pathology. Dr Julie Engiles from the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton Center will update us on cutting-edge laminitis research, and Dr Anibal Armien from the University of Minnesota will talk about equine spinal cord pathology and update us on the pathogenesis of “shivers.” In addition, Dr Grant Rezabeck from the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab will review perinatal diseases of foals.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is responsible for significant morbidity in both veterinary and human patients. Dr Richard Loeser from Wake Forest University School of Medicine will discuss the biology of OA, and Dr Cathy Carlson from the University of Minnesota will tell us about animal OA models. Continuing with our equine tribute, Dr Shelia Laverty from the University of Montreal will discuss osteoarthritis and imaging in the horse, and finally Dr James Cook will discuss canine osteoarthritis and efforts to induce cartilage repair.
During our Minisymposium on Iron Biology and Anemia, Dr Paul Schmidt from the Boston Children’s Hospital will review iron metabolism, and Dr Tom Ganz from the David Geffen School of Medicine will discuss the effects of iron limitation/deficiency and points of therapeutic intervention. In addition, Dr Alexander Drakesmith from the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine will discuss the pathology associated with iron maldistribution, and Dr Elizabeta Nemeth from UCLA will discuss iron overload toxicity and treatments. This session will be an excellent review of normal iron metabolism and associated diseases and may be particularly appealing to our colleagues preparing for the board examination.
Emerging Disease Session
The avian influenza virus is known for its ability to mutate and wreak havoc in bird populations. Experts Drs David Swayne and Terry Tumpey will review the features of the virus, the pathogenesis of the disease, and the potential for human infection.
Professional Development Session
Mike Lairmore and Erin Brannick will present an interesting session on professional and personal branding for your career.
ASVCP Education Symposium
During this year’s session on Laboratory Testing, Dr Bente Flatland of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville will give an update on aspects of laboratory quality assurance/quality control (QC) testing, and Dr Michael Aidoo of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will discuss QC of malaria rapid tests. Dr Thomas Fritsche of Marshfield Laboratories will discuss using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI-TOF) in a diagnostic setting, and Dr Matthew McQueen of McMaster University will discuss ethical issues and the role of the pathologist in test development.
Premeeting Workshops
Computer-Assisted Analysis of Micron Resolution Images
Lesion scoring or grading often is an inexact, subjective endeavor. With the advent of advanced staining techniques, the ability to capture the entirety of a slide as a digital image, and the availability of sophisticated image analysis software, we now can provide objective, unbiased measurements of tissue changes. This session, organized by our ASIP colleagues, will highlight a number of image analysis programs and procedures.
Understanding the Mouse Immune System: Relevance for Study of Human Diseases
This session will cover the anatomy, physiology, strain variation, and general histopathology for immunologic studies and will demonstrate that important information relevant to human disease can be derived from mouse models. This workshop will be useful for residents to experienced pathologists as well as for scientists and biomedical personnel studying mouse models of disease.
ASVCP Workshop: The Ins and Outs of the Kidney
This workshop will include a thorough review of the physiology of the kidney, progress through routine urinalysis, discuss optimal methods for interpretation of urine chemistry results, and then present an overview of urinary sediment with a final discussion on uroliths.
C. L. Davis will have another interesting workshop this year.
Postmeeting Workshop
Primate Pathology Workshop: Immuno-Oncology: Lessons From Comparative Studies in Human and Nonhuman Primates
This workshop will focus on neoplasia in nonhuman primates. Speakers will focus on recent groundbreaking developments in cancer immunotherapy and the unique value of nonhuman primate studies to the development of molecularly targeted therapies. Case presenters will be encouraged to focus on neoplastic disease or treatment-related abnormalities.
In summary, the 2014 joint ACVP/ASVCP/ASIP meeting will provide introductions to new, cutting-edge techniques (Systems Biology and Digital Imaging) that will greatly enhance our ability to diagnose, understand, objectively measure, and describe complex disease processes. The meeting will contain robust reviews of renal physiology, iron metabolism, equine diseases, and the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis and sepsis. Participants will have an opportunity to study comparative mouse and human histology, review the structure and function of the mouse immune system, and learn how primate models are playing an important role in the search for novel and effective cancer immunotherapeutics. These sessions, combined with the Focused Scientific Sessions, will recharge the mind and the spirit for another year of scientific endeavor.
Jim Rottman, DVM, PhD
2014 ACVP ASVCP Annual Meeting Program Chair
jrottman@amgen.com
