During the past decade it has become increasingly clear that information transfer from neuron to neuron, the hallmark of brain function, requires the active participation of other cell types. The biology of glial cells is poorly understood, and glial-neuronal and glial-glial interactions are essential for many critical functions in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Non-neuronal cells clearly have vital roles in neuronal development, activity, plasticity, and recovery from injury, and recent studies have shown that glia are not simply the matrix in which neurons are embedded. Rather, they are endowed with a diverse collection of ionic channels, neurotransmitter receptors, and transport mechanisms that both enable the glia to respond to many of the same signals acting on neurons and also modulate the neuronal response. Moreover, it is now understood that glia actively secrete cytokines, growth factors, matrix, and other trophic factors that dictate the long-term and short-term survival of neurons as well as the elaboration and retraction of synaptic connections.

This conference assembles investigators working on several areas of glial biology, with special emphasis on glial-neuronal and glial-glial interactions. The agenda of this meeting will have a strong focus on glial biology and cell-cell interactions, rather than on cell development per se or specific properties of different cell types. Interactions among these researchers are expected to lead to novel insights into the many roles of glia in nervous system function, as well as to focus research on resolving controversies, and push forward the frontiers of knowledge in this new subdiscipline of neuroscience. As nervous system research becomes increasingly integrative, the interactions between different cell types, in this instance, neurons and glia, must be included in data analysis and system response models. This glial biology/cell-cell interaction conference is designed to be broad in its scope, and should provide the platform for discussing and integrating current research.