Third Researchers’ Roundtable Conference

In November 1999, The A-T Project sponsored its third Researchers’ Roundtable Conference. The conference included two and a half days of intensive scientific discussions and opportunities for A-T families in attendance to visit with the researchers. The event was capped by a large, enthusiastic reception, complete with presentations to the researchers by three children with A-T, a silent auction, and a musical performance by Richard Gatti and Paul Wong. The best part of the reception however, was the chance to visit with many of the great Austin-area A-T Project supporters.

Richard Gatti, M.D. of the A-T Medical Research Foundation at UCLA presented a worldwide overview of current research. Reports were given on research being done by Gerard Berry, M.D. at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Bill Lynn, M.D. and Paul Wong, Ph.D. at M. D. Anderson’s Science Park-Research Division, George Stoica, Ph.D. at Texas A&M University, and Joseph Eichberg, Ph.D. and Arturo Manzo, Ph.D. at the University of Houston. Presentations were also made by Ann Moser, Lorenzo’s Oil researcher at Johns Hopkins University, and David Millington, Ph.D. from Duke University who invented the new-born screening test in use in most of the modern world. Both discussed ways that they would be willing and able to participate in future A-T research.

While understanding A-T remains an incredible challenge, some of the latest findings presented at the conference gave reasonable cause for hope in finding practical interventions. The M. D. Anderson and Texas A&M researchers were particularly excited about preliminary results they have found individually and collaboratively. Dr. Berry of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has also found preliminary results that have encouraged him to pursue expansion of his A-T clinical study. The University of Houston research was thought to be helpful for complementing the M. D. Anderson studies.

All in all, the conference was a big success, helping to identify research directions that appear to hold promise. Another great benefit of the event was a heightened enthusiasm by supporters and a renewed commitment by the researchers to intensify their quest for A-T treatments.