Lp(a) Satellite Meeting - From Bench to Bedside

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Fifty years after the first report by Kåre Berg of Oslo, Lp(a) is finally accepted by the scientific community as a causal risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Considering the great interest in Lp(a), it is astonishing how many gaps there are in our knowledge of its biological function and biosynthetic and catabolic pathways. A major obstacle to functional investigation of Lp(a) is the lack of suitable animal models and cell lines. Other, even more burning, questions pertain to the accurate measurement of Lp(a) plasma concentrations and apo(a) isoforms in the clinical laboratory. Presently, there is no drug on the market that specifically lowers elevated Lp(a) in patients at increased risk for CVD. We therefore look with great hope to the results of clinical trials with new cholesterol-lowering drugs or, even more so, with medications that are specifically directed against Lp(a). With the current strong interest in Lp(a) research in mind we decided to organize this International Lp(a) Symposium as a satellite to the 84th EAS Congress in Innsbruck and are very grateful to the EAS and its president Alberico Catapano for supporting our initiative for this symposium. We will bring together the leading experts in Lp(a) research, who have promised to share with us their views and their most recent results in order to promote our knowledge of this important risk factor for atherosclerosis. Innsbruck (http://www.innsbruck.at/") is a charming city in the heart of Europe with an abundance of cultural, sightseeing and sports opportunities, not only in winter but all year ‘round. We enthusiastically look forward to the International Lp(a) Meeting and invite you to share this important event with us.

Gert M. Kostner, Florian Kronenberg, Hans Dieplinger

Awards

Presenter Award
The best oral presentations selected from the submitted short lectures will be elected for a presenter award (300,- Euros)

Poster Award
The best five posters will be elected by the scientific committee and the presenter will receive a poster award (200,- Euros each)