Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) comprise a large family of growth and differentiation factors with essential functions in development, metabolism, and repair of various tissues and organs. Reflective of their pleiotropic roles, aberrations in FGF signaling are associated with a wide variety of human diseases, including several developmental/genetic diseases, metabolic disorders, and malignancies.

The meeting will include an introductory overview on the FGF family, followed by sessions on mechanistic aspects of FGF secretion and signaling, roles of FGFs in development, metabolism, tissue repair and remodeling, cooperation between FGF signaling and other signaling pathways, and on the roles of FGFs in genetic/developmental disease, metabolic diseases, and cancer. The recent discovery of the endocrine-acting FGF subfamily’s critical roles in bile acid, lipid, glucose, phosphate, and vitamin D homeostasis has sparked renewed interest in the therapeutic applications of FGFs, and this aspect will also be covered.

In addition to long presentations by invited speakers, a few abstracts will be selected for shorter oral presentation. This will ensure that the program includes exciting new topics emerging in the weeks preceding the conference.

It is the goal of this conference to bring together a diverse group of researchers working in the FGF field in a single forum to discuss new research results and to target future research areas. Since FGF researchers come from different fields such as biochemistry, cell biology, endocrinology, developmental biology, pharmacology and clinical medicine, they usually do not meet at other conferences. Therefore, this meeting will provide a unique opportunity for basic scientists, clinicians and colleagues from industry to exchange knowledge and to initiate and strengthen collaborations. Young investigators are particularly encouraged to apply to the meeting, and we will make every effort to include them into the program.