GoingToMeet

The American Society for Matrix Biology (ASMB) was founded in 2000 to promote and develop studies in the field of matrix biology and to publicize research. This discipline includes the structure and function of components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), the interactions of these components with cells, the consequences of these interactions for intracellular signaling mechanisms and gene expression, the orderly progression of these processes during embryonic and post-natal development, and the disruption of these processes in hereditary and acquired diseases of animals and humans. The field of matrix biology is also relevant to many clinical disciplines including cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, genetics, hepatology, immunology, nephrology, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, otolaryngology, pulmonology, rheumatology, and surgery, and to areas of bioengineering that are concerned with implanted or extracorporeal biomedical devices.

The purpose of the ASMB 2008 meeting is to:

* introduce new technologies for advancing the field of matrix biology
* utilize a format that maximizes the exposure of new ideas and young scientists
* focus on new extracellular matrix research directions