The Gordon Research Conference on Thiol-based Redox Regulation and Signaling will be held May 9-14, 2010 at Il Ciocco in Italy.

Redox biology is key to the life sciences as an increasing number of cellular functions and impairments are found linked to redox processes. Many crucial signaling pathways utilize the reversible oxidation and reduction of cysteine thiols as a molecular switch. Transient oxidation of numerous phosphatases, kinases and transcription factors links thiol-based redox chemistry to phosphorylation-based signaling, apoptosis, gene regulation, cell cycle control and other physio-pathological processes. Redox dysregulation has hence major implications for the onset and progression of many complex diseases and is a significant component of the process of aging.

This conference is in its third cycle after a two very successful meetings in the U.S. and Italy in 2006 and 2008. The chair and vice-chair are a physician scientist and a basic researcher, respectively, and are representative of the biologists, chemists and clinicians working on varied aspects of the field. This conference provides a venue for the free exchange of ideas and methodologies (the latter often limit progress in this particular field). The topics covered include: redox signaling, regulation and disease; disulfide bond formation and isomerization; redox based inter-organellar and inter-cellular communication; peroxide generation, sensing and clearance; bioinformatics and redoxomics; sulfur metabolism; emerging technologies. While the thematic area is broad-based, its relevance to cancer, cardiovascular diseases and aging is well represented programmatically. By bringing together investigators with varied expertise in biophysical methods, bioinformatics and animal model systems, with physicians focused on disease processes, the meeting is expected to further stimulate collaborations and catalyze scientific progress as has been exemplified by the successes of the previous meetings.