FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Kara Vonasek, Spectrum Science
202-955-6222

Aislinn Raedy, American Society of Hematology
202-776-0544

BREAKTHROUGH RESEARCH ON BLOOD DISORDERS AND TREATMENTS PRESENTED AT WORLD-RENOWNED HEMATOLOGY MEETING

(SAN DIEGO, December 4, 2004) – The world's largest professional society of hematologists, the American Society of Hematology (ASH), expects more than 20,000 attendees for its four-day event focusing on the latest blood disease and cancer research. The 46th Annual Meeting will take place December 4 – 7, 2004, at the San Diego Convention Center.

“I believe that the ASH meeting is the world’s foremost hematology meeting, combining the best science, the most up-to-date clinical overview, and the state-of-the-art education,” said Stanley Schrier, M.D., Active Emeritus Professor of Medicine/Hematology at Stanford University School of Medicine and President of the American Society of Hematology.

Hematology is a subspecialty of internal medicine involving the study of blood. Hematologists investigate, diagnose, and treat a wide variety of diseases relating to red blood cells (such as sickle cell anemia), white blood cells (leukemias and lymphomas), and platelets (bleeding disorders), as well as a complex array of clotting and bone marrow disorders. As blood is essential for the proper functioning of every organ in the body, hematology research also has far-reaching implications for many other diseases.

The Plenary Policy Forum (scheduled for Sunday, December 5, 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. PT) will feature a provocative discussion on the U.S. private health insurance system. Discussion leader Alain Enthoven, Ph.D., a respected health care economist, will address the shortcomings of the current U.S. health care system, describe his alternative model of “managed competition,” and discuss other health care delivery models currently under consideration by policymakers. Immediately following, the Plenary Scientific Session (1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. PT) will provide state-of-the-art scientific research across the breadth of the field. More than 3,600 abstracts will also be presented throughout the meeting, featuring the latest in hematologic research.

The focus of the Presidential Symposium (scheduled for Tuesday, December 7, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PT) will be an understanding of DNA instability and repair in hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. The success of the DNA repair process is crucial for maintaining genome stability, and failure of the process can lead to cancer development.

Douglas Higgs, M.D., will present the annual Ham-Wasserman Lecture, “Gene Regulation in Hematopoiesis: New Lessons from Thalassemia.” Dr. Higgs' innovative research has provided one of the most comprehensively studied models of mammalian gene expression and has paved the way for novel approaches for managing thalassemia, probably the world’s most common genetic disorder affecting the blood’s hemoglobin.

A research pioneer on the control of blood cell formation, Donald Metcalf, M.D., will present the E. Donnall Thomas Lecture on “The Unfinished Hunt for Hematopoietic Regulators.” His contributions to hematology span more than a half-century, and especially notable is his research on blood cell regulators, which paved the way for valuable drugs that accelerate the regrowth of blood cells following anti-cancer treatment and bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

Other highlights include a diverse educational program, special symposia, a practice forum, and media briefings on hot topics in hematology.

“The ASH meeting provides an unparalleled opportunity for clinicians, practitioners, and basic scientists in the field to gain the latest in hematology knowledge, news, and networking,” said Dr. Schrier. “A broad spectrum of topics and venues will appeal to people at all levels of the field, from medical students with a burgeoning interest in blood disorders to the most respected, long-standing scientific researchers.”

The American Society of Hematology is the world's largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatment of blood disorders. Its mission is to further the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting blood, bone marrow, and the immunologic, hemostatic, and vascular systems, by promoting research, clinical care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology.

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