Contact: Anthony de Bruyn, (512) 499-4363

Date: February 15, 2004

UT System News Media Advisory

Texas health research highlighted at Molecular Medicine Symposium

Houston — Cutting-edge investigators and the technologies they use and develop at The University of Texas System's health institutions will be highlighted at an upcoming molecular medicine symposium. The symposium is Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 21-22, at the Hilton-Americas Hotel, 1600 Lamar St., Houston.

Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, one of the nation's top scientists and newly named director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (a part of the National Institutes of Health) will be the keynote speaker on Monday evening. Dr. Nabel has a longstanding interest in genetic and cellular therapies for cardiovascular disease. Her research on vascular biology and the regulation of smooth muscle cell growth has provided insight into heart disease.

Molecular medicine is the application of new tools which provide insights into the genetic or molecular basis of disease. This is a revolutionary departure from the way health research has been traditionally done. Molecular medicine allows scientists to use tools that now look globally at how thousands of genes or proteins change in response to disease or disease treatment.

"The promise of molecular medicine is that physicians will be better able to predict disease or identify who will respond best to specific treatments," said Dr. Allan R. Brasier, chair of the symposium. "This would result in earlier detection of respiratory illness, heart disease or detection of cancer."

The research capabilities of the UT System's six medical institutions will be highlighted at the conference, as they have reached a milestone in combined research funding exceeding a landmark $1 billion in 2004. Because of the volume and growth of this research, the UT System has made major advances in understanding life-threatening conditions like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Additionally, the System's enhanced stature in bioterror research has led to $100 million in federal funding for one of only two biodefense laboratories in the nation at UT Medical Branch in Galveston.

Monday, Feb. 21

This daylong session begins at 8:30 a.m.

The panel discussion will focus on genetics ranging from specific discussion on the genetics of diabetes, lung cancer and obesity to host genetic determinants of HIV/AIDS. The afternoon will focus on functional genomics. Additional discussion will focus on molecular genomics of ovarian and breast cancer and proteomics of cellular responses to viral infection, among a wide range of other topics.

Dr. Nabel will speak at the Monday evening dinner at 7 p.m.

Press availability with Dr. Kenneth Shine, UT System executive vice chancellor of health affairs, and symposium chair Dr. Allan Brasier, professor in internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, will be Monday at noon.

Press availability with Dr. Nabel will be at 6:15 Monday evening.

Tuesday, Feb. 22

This daylong session begins at 8:30 a.m.

The focus of Tuesday's session is molecular imaging. Speakers will discuss molecular imaging including real time optical molecular imaging in early cancer detection and molecular therapeutics including MRI agents of the future and high throughput vaccine screening.

You can find out more at the molecular medicine symposium website.

The UT System has 15 campuses, including nine academic and six health institutions, and an annual operating budget of $8.5 billion (FY 2005). Student enrollment exceeded 182,000 in the 2004 academic year. The UT System confers one-third of the state's undergraduate degrees and educates three-fourths of the state's health care professionals annually. With more than 76,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.

Contacts:

Michael L. Warden

(512) 499-4363 (office)

(512) 736-9296 (cell)

Cile Spelce

(512) 499-4794 (office)

(512) 784-5851 (cell)