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C O N F E R E N C E R E P O RT SThe 10th European Congress of NeuropathologyConference details: 6-9 June, 2012, Edinburgh, Scotland. Reviewed by: Dr Valerie Critcher, Specialist Registrar in Neuropathology at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital,Sheffield, UK.An invitation from the European Confederation ofNeuropathological Societies (Euro-CNS) and the BritishNeuropathological Society drew almost 400 participants fromacross the globe to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre forthis Neuropathology Congress. The meeting was preceded by the Euro-CNS training course on Leukoencephalopathies.Plenary LecturesThe programme included plenary lectures by eight distinguishedspeakers working at the forefront of neuroscience research and its applicationto improvements in diagnosis and treatment. In his talk on themolecular pathology of CNS tumours, Professor David Louis focused ondevelopments in this rapidly expanding field that have been translatedinto valuable diagnostic and prognostic tools. An example was the use ofMGMT promoter methylation to help distinguish glioblastoma recurrencefrom pseudoprogression during temozolomide therapy. Professor JohnHardy discussed how advances in sequencing and DNA chip technologyare being used to identify different types of genetic risk for neurodegenerativediseases, thereby increasing understanding of the aetiologies.Professor Richard Gilbertson described his laboratory’s cross-speciesgenomics approach to the subgrouping of CNS tumours. This is helpingto explain why tumours of similar histopathological appearance mayshow very different biological behaviours. For example, ependymomasarising in the forebrain, hindbrain and spinal cord have distinct molecularprofiles, reflecting their different stem cell type origins. Professor WilliamBrown illustrated his techniques of creating three dimensional views ofvascular networks to investigate the vascular changes in deep whitematter in ageing, neurodegeneration and dementia. The increasingcomplexity and diversity of prion diseases were discussed by ProfessorPierluigi Gambetti. He talked about the identification and characterisationof novel forms such as variably protease-sensitive prionopathy whichis suggested to represent a sporadic form of Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease. Professor Ingmar Blümcke described how the surveyof over 5,000 surgical epilepsy specimens collected at the EuropeanEpilepsy Brain Bank has enabled correlation between histopathology,preoperative imaging and clinical response to surgery, which in turn isleading to more specifically tailored resection strategies. Developmentsin understanding the pathogenesis of lysosomal diseases were explainedby Professor Steven Walkley. He showed that the complex role of lysosomeswithin a major metabolic regulatory network indicates that braindysfunction in lysosomal diseases is not simply the consequence ofabnormal storage of non-degraded materials. In the final lecture to theCongress, Professor Robin Franklin described the work in his laboratoryon the biology of remyelination. The findings show that declining efficiencyof remyelination with age is largely due to failure of stem celldifferentiation. Evidence that the innate immune response has a key rolein remyelination led to an interesting discussion on the effects of antiinflammatorytherapy in multiple sclerosis.Seminars and WorkshopsA total of 10 symposia and 7 workshops provided platforms to discussaspects of research and diagnostic practice related to a wide range ofneurological/neurosurgical disorders. There were sessions dedicated toregenerative neuroscience and to brain inflammation. A personal highlightwas the lecture by Professor Arie Perry in which he presented a verypractical approach to the subtyping of glioblastomas, with emphasis onthe clinical relevance of making the distinctions.PostersOver two hundred posters, grouped into ten themes, were displayed in theexhibition hall throughout the Congress, giving ample opportunity forA friendly encounter between congress participantsin the exhibition hall.viewing. The standard was high and twenty-six poster presenters wereinvited to give oral presentations within the above symposia and workshops.In addition, there were two plenary poster discussions. For these,eight discussants were asked to reflect on what they had found of interestamong the posters. I enjoyed the different approaches taken by the eightindividuals to present their choices and seeing which strategies had mostsuccess in promoting audience participation in the ensuing discussions.Social EventsThe large exhibition hall provided a place to encounter old friends andmake new acquaintances. On day two the delegates were treated to anexclusive evening reception in Edinburgh Castle. This included a chanceto view Scotland’s Crown Jewels and experience the stirring sounds of apipe band through the mist over Crown Square. The Gala Dinner was heldin the newly refurbished National Museum of Scotland, surrounded bythe eclectic Window on the World exhibition in the Grand Gallery.Entertainment was provided by the excellent Kilter Ceilidh Band and Iobserved that many eminent neuropathologists are also adept at Strip theWillow and other traditional dances performed that night.ConclusionsThe scientific programme was scheduled so that in general sessions witha bias towards clinical diagnostics ran alongside those with a more dedicatedresearch content. This allowed delegates to select the topics mostrelevant to their areas of interest and there was truly ‘something foreveryone’ throughout the Congress. Inevitably clashes occurred and sowe hopped between the auditoria to catch the anticipated highlights fromeach symposium and workshop. Some of the sessions suffered from lessthan strict timekeeping, thus limiting the opportunities for discussion andone of the plenary poster sessions had to be cut short. In the welcomeaddresses there had been references to the inclement weather and to therecent outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Edinburgh. Nonetheless I amsure that most delegates remained within the Conference Centre eachday not because of these external factors but as a consequence of suchan informative and enjoyable meeting. lThe Abstracts of the 10th European Congress of Neuropathologyare published in: Clinical Neuropathology. 2012;31(4):232-5.Details of future Euro-CNS events, including the neuropathologytraining courses, can be found at: www.euro-cns.orgACNR > VOLUME 12 NUMBER 4 > SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 > 33