In conjunction with this year’s Child Neurology Society meeting, the Neurobiology of Disease in Children (NDC) held its 16th annual symposium to review advances in pediatric neurologic disease. The topic for the 2016 NDC symposium was Neurofibromatosis (NF), the very same topic discussed at the first NDC symposium held in 2001.
Since the first NDC symposium on NF, there have been tremendous advancements in the field with respect to genetics, treatment options and patient management. The symposium began with an overview of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) clinical diagnosis (Bruce Korf, MD, PhD; University of Alabama – Birmingham), NF1 gene structure and function (David Viskochil, MD, PhD; University of Utah), and NF1 genotype-phenotype correlations (Ludwine Messiaen, PhD; University of Alabama – Birmingham). During the second session of the day, the pathogenesis of specific features of NF1 features was highlighted, including optic pathway glioma (David Gutmann, MD, PhD; Washington University), behavior and learning (Maria Acosta, MD; Children’s National Medical Center), plexiform neurofibromas and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (D. Wade Clapp, MD; Indiana University) and bone defects (Florent Elefteriou, PhD; Vanderbilt University). The last session of the day reviewed advances in the treatment of NF1, with presentations from Brigitte Widemann, MD (National Cancer Institute), D. Wade Clapp, MD, and Roger Packer, MD (Children’s National Medical Center).
The 16th annual NDC symposium was well attended by child neurologists from all over the world, and served to showcase the talented physicians and scientists who have dedicated themselves to the treatment and care of children with NF1.