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Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are promising cell therapy candidates, but their debated efficacy in clinical trials still limits successful adoption. Here, we discuss proceedings from a roundtable session titled "Failure to Launch Mesenchymal Stromal Cells 10 Years Later: What's on the Horizon?" held at the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy 2023 Annual Meeting. Panelists discussed recent progress toward developing patient-stratification approaches for MSC treatments, highlighting the role of baseline levels of inflammation in mediating MSC treatment efficacy. In addition, MSC critical quality attributes (CQAs) are beginning to be elucidated and applied to investigational MSC products, including immunomodulatory functional assays and other potency markers that will help to ensure product consistency and quality. Lastly, next-generation MSC products, such as culture-priming strategies, were discussed as a promising strategy to augment MSC basal fitness and therapeutic potency. Key variables that will need to be considered alongside investigations of patient stratification approaches, CQAs and next-generation MSC products include the specific disease target being evaluated, route of administration of the cells and cell manufacturing parameters; these factors will have to be matched with postulated mechanisms of action towards treatment efficacy. Taken together, patient stratification metrics paired with the selection of therapeutically potent MSCs (using rigorous CQAs and/or engineered MSC products) represent a path forward to improve clinical successes and regulatory endorsements. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2004 the first annual BioMalPar meeting was held at EMBL Heidelberg, bringing together researchers from around the world with the goal of building connections between malaria research groups in Europe. Twenty years on it is time to reflect on what was achieved and to look ahead to the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2022 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group (FASDSG) meeting was held in coordination with the 45th annual Research Society on Alcoholism conference on June 25th, 2022. The theme of the meeting was "Enhancing the Relevance of Research for the Community." The program began with a moderated panel discussion on the value of community-engaged research, which included two self-advocates and a clinical and pre-clinical researcher. Invited plenary speakers included Jill Locke, Ph.D., who provided an engaging introduction to implementation science, and Jared Young, Ph.D., who discussed cross-species domain task specificity. The meeting also included updates from three government agencies, short presentations by junior and senior investigators showcasing late-breaking FASD research, trainee award winners, and a presentation on the Toward Health Outcomes intervention roadmap by Jacqueline Pei, Ph.D. • The 2022 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group returned to an in-person format. • The meeting had 124 registrants from multiple countries. • The meeting theme was "Enhancing the Relevance of Research for the Community." • Plenaries covered implementation science and cross-species task domain specificity. • Timothy A. Cudd Awardees were Carson Kautz-Turnbull and Riley Figueroa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is underrepresentation of women at surgical conferences. We examine the representation of women in Irish urology by looking at gender balance within the Irish Society of Urology (ISU) conference. ISU programmes over thirteen years from 2008 to 2020 were assessed and female representation in session chairs, guest speakers, poster and oral presentations identified. Gender distributions of authors for each year was examined. To investigate changes in female representation temporally, the period of this study (2008–2020) was subdivided and compared: 2008–2013 and 2014–2020. 76 sessions were presided over by 138 chairs, of which 6 (4.3%) were female. Eight conferences had zero female chairs. 62 guest lectures were given, 6 (9.6%) by women. Of total 340 poster and 434 oral presentations, women delivered 24.9% (0–47.5%) of posters and 31.6% (10.3–59.4%) of oral presentations. We found no significant difference in the percentage of female poster presentations between the time periods 2008–2013 (m = 18.2, sd = 13.7) and 2014–2020 (m = 34.3, sd = 17.8), t(11) = −1.4, p > 0.05. However, we found a significant difference in the percentage of female oral presentations between the periods 2008–2013 (m = 18.7, sd = 14.2) and 2014–2020 (m = 40.6, sd = 14.5), t(11) = −2.8, p < 0.05. Our study is the second to examine female representation in Irish urology. Session chairs and guest speakers were grossly overrepresented by males as were oral and poster presentations. Despite lacking female influence overall, in more recent years there was an increased representation of women. Societies should strive to increase female representation, as this perpetuates a positive feedback loop, encouraging future female trainees to pursue urological surgery. • Women are underrepresented in surgery and in surgical conferences. • Female trainees in urology in Ireland overall are increasing in numbers. • Women remain underrepresented in the main Irish urology annual meeting. • Gender discrepancy remained prevalent with guest speakers and panel chairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This meeting report presents the 2022 Annual Meeting of the cluster for Integrative Structural Biology at the University of Copenhagen (ISBUC) and discusses the cluster approach to interdisciplinary research management. This approach successfully facilitates cross-faculty and inter-departmental collaboration. Innovative integrative research collaborations ignited by ISBUC, as well as research presented at the meeting, are showcased. In this meeting report, Kragelund et al. present the 2022 Annual Meeting of the cluster for Integrative Structural Biology at the University of Copenhagen (ISBUC) and discuss the cluster approach to interdisciplinary research management. The report offers a blueprint for organizing interdisciplinary clusters by showcasing collaborations ignited by ISBUC and research presented at the meeting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Committee Proceedings, representatives from the Early Stage Professional (ESP) committee highlight the innovative discoveries and key take-aways from oral presentations at the 2022 International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT) Annual Meeting that cover the following subject categories: Immunotherapy, Exosomes and Extracellular Vesicles, HSC/Progenitor Cells and Engineering, Mesenchymal Stromal Cells, and ISCT Late-Breaking Abstracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), the governing body for the world's largest tuna fishery, held its 20th annual Commission meeting in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, in December 2023. This commentary provides an overview of the meeting and its outcomes. Revisions to the tropical tuna measure were the main focus of member states' attention, alongside the determination of an interim Target Reference Point for South Pacific albacore, compliance monitoring reporting, and updates to measures and harvest strategies for Northern Stocks. The members were able to comprehensively address the management of the tropical tuna species and made progress on harvest strategies. Harvest strategies are pre-determined management actions that would reduce the reliance on short-term management decisions and achieve a long-term management framework. However, other important issues, such as developing an allocation framework, remained unresolved despite the member's commitment to start developing such a framework at this year's meeting. Emerging shifts in meeting dynamics were observed and may signal changes in how the WCPFC operates moving forward. • The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission had its 20th annual meeting. • Members focused on revising the tropical tuna measure. • Important progress was made concerning the management of South Pacific albacore. • The issue of allocation remains unresolved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2021 meeting of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group (FASDSG) was titled "Role of Parental Experiences in Offspring Outcomes". The theme was reflected in the presentations of two keynote speakers: Edward Levin, Ph.D., who spoke about the role of paternal exposures in offspring development, and Catherine Monk, Ph.D., who spoke about the effects of maternal exposures and maternal mental health on offspring development. The conference included updates from three government agencies, short presentations by junior and senior investigators showcasing late-breaking FASD research, a report on international efforts to streamline FASD classifications for research, a presentation of observations from adults with FASD, a short film of people with FASDs describing their experiences, and a poster session. The conference was capped by awarding the 2021 Henry Rosett award for career-long contributions to the field to Cynthia J.M. Kane, Ph.D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional paradigm of non-rodent safety assessment studies, primarily reliant on non-human primates (NHPs) and dogs, is undergoing a transformation. During the 2023 Safety Pharmacology Society Annual Meeting, scientists from leading nonclinical contract organizations discussed how traditional IND-enabling studies can benefit from employing underutilized alternative non-rodent models, such as the swine. Swine offer a cost-effective approach to drug development and share many anatomical and physiological similarities with humans. The inclusion of non-traditional species in safety assessments, coupled with advanced measurement techniques, aids in de-risking compounds early on and adapting projects to the evolving cost landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Partnerships and collaborations key to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and to prepare for future pandemics. • The inequitable access to COVID-19 vaccines is a failure of humanity and will continue to have significant economic and health consequences if not addressed. • Deliberate actions are required to establish sustainable vaccine manufacturing on the African continent. • Innovative vaccine technologies, regulatory and financing mechanisms are critical to strengthening global health security. The Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network held its 22nd Annual General Meeting in October 2021. Vaccine manufacturing experts, leaders from global public health organizations and dignitaries from governments and multilateral organizations discussed the challenges and opportunities emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 350 delegates from 33 countries, representing over 70 organizations partook in the meetings deliberations. The development and scaled-up production of several safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 resulted in over 12 billion doses being produced by the end of 2021. Unfortunately, this scientific achievement and outstanding industry effort has been overshadowed by the striking inequity in access to COVID-19 vaccines. High and upper middle-income countries have received 75% of the vaccines, while in Africa, less than 5% of the people are fully vaccinated. The inequitable access to vaccines is an issue of national health security, which has stressed the need to establish local vaccine manufacturing capacity in Africa. Key partnerships, initiatives and the deliberate strategies required to achieve sustainable manufacturing on the continent were discussed. The ability to acquire technology, access markets and financing mechanisms, and workforce development were reported as key enablers to achieving a healthy ecosystem. Innovative vaccine technologies, new regulatory approaches, and the importance of voluntary technology transfers in increasing the global supply capacity of both COVID-19 vaccines and traditional vaccines were highlighted. In reviewing the lessons learned from the pandemic, speakers shared a consensus that innovation and partnerships will be central to any solution proposed to mitigate the current pandemic and prepare for future ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 96th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Orthopedic Association will be held from May 11 to 14, 2023, at Yokohama in Japan. I decided to set the theme for this meeting as "Quest for Science, Spirit, and Skills." We believe that the "quest" to master these elements is the basic principle of those responsible for well-balanced musculoskeletal medicine and is also essential to further developments of orthopedic surgery. The poster for the meeting incorporates Okayama Castle and an ukiyo-e painting of Miyamoto Musashi who was also famous for his nito-ryu or double-bladed swordsmanship. The idea behind using the ukiyo-e of Miyamoto Musashi on the poster is to draw an orthopaedic surgeon with "science" on one hand, "skills" on the other hand, and "spirit" in the heart. Moreover, novel perspectives and innovations may develop through working on more than two specialties. We believe that our interests to various clinical fields and science constitute the nito-ryu working style, which would accelerate the development orthopaedic science. It is important to challenge the unknown both in medicine and in life. Anyone would agree that it is fundamental to strive for new discoveries and technological developments in medicine. Sometimes we work hard because we cannot see the future, but there are times when we need to work hard even if we can anticipate the future. I think that your destiny may change depending on whether you make an effort or not. I would like young people to keep this in mind and continue to challenge the unknown. Finally, I would like to introduce the words of Shoin Yoshida in the Edo era: "Those without dreams have no success." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a virtual annual meeting of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) in 2021, thus eliminating carbon emissions from travel to and from the planned meeting venue in Boston, Massachusetts. We found that the reduced carbon footprint of the virtual meeting saved 1,282 metric tonnes of CO 2 emissions compared with estimated CO 2 emissions for travel if the meeting had taken place in person, or 880 metric tonnes relative to the projected emissions associated with the in-person 2022 annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. An entirely virtual or hybrid AAPOS meeting would reduce its environmental footprint and increase the opportunity for national and international participation and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the past 40 years the American Association for Women in Radiology (AAWR) has continued to support efforts to achieve its founding goals of improving the visibility of women in radiology, advancing the professional and academic standing of women in radiology, and identifying and addressing issues faced by women in radiology. In the past 5 years, the AAWR has made great strides to support women in radiology through amplifying the voices of women heard at the American College of Radiology (ACR) Annual Meeting, initiating the AAWR Research & Education Capital Campaign, establishing the fellows of the AAWR, and advocating for practicing radiologists and trainee parental leave. The many accomplishments of the AAWR over the past 40 years and the committed future work of the AAWR ensure the voices of women in radiology are heard and the needs of women in radiology are recognized. • The American Association for Women in Radiology (AAWR) celebrated its 40th Anniversary in May 2021. • The AAWR has many notable accomplishments over the past few years leading up to the anniversary. • The 40th anniversary of AAWR was marked by a virtual celebration on May 11, 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]