WASHINGTON, July 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Science Translational Medicine, the newest journal from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the Days of Molecular Medicine Global Foundation (DMM GF) announced today the launch of Days of Molecular Medicine 2012 "The Translational Science of Rare Diseases: From Rare to Care," a three-day meeting which will be held in Vienna, Austria from October 8 through October 10, 2012.

Taking place at the Palais de Lichtenstein, and featuring an international roster of academic, industrial and government scientists, headlined by Nobel Laureate Dr. Eric Kandel, the meeting will cover how new technologies are providing fresh insights into the causes of rare diseases and ways forward for developing new treatments.

Featured topics include a new targeted therapy for cystic fibrosis, exon skipping for treating muscular dystrophy, gene therapy for SCID and hemophilia, tailoring treatments with genomics, and embryonic stem cell therapy for treating retinal diseases. Joining Science Translational Medicine, AAAS and the DMM Global Foundation in launching Days of Molecular Medicine 2012 are the following co-organizers: the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, the Karolinska Institute, and Fondation Ipsen.

Days of Molecular Medicine 2012 is also made possible through the generous sponsorship of Boehringer Ingleheim, Inc.

"The Days of Molecular Medicine 2012 conference will discuss the many different causes of rare diseases," says Orla Smith, Managing Editor of Science Translational Medicine, "and the diverse roster of speakers will provide fresh insights into how we can develop effective new treatments."

"From cystic fibrosis to hemophilia, there are a number of diseases that, while classified as "rare", afflict a significant number of people worldwide," says Ken Chien, DMM Global Foundation Director. "With enough attention from the research community, and the application of cutting-edge technology, we can start to bring much needed relief to patients and their families. That's what DMM 2012 is all about."

"Rare diseases often come with unspeakable suffering where children are mainly affected. It is a matter of great importance to me to support every effort to share knowledge and develop new ideas, which will hopefully turn into added value for the patients, " says Dr. Josef Penninger of the IMBA. "Therefore, it is a special honor for me to host this year's Days of Molecular Medicine Meeting here in Vienna on this very topic."

For further information and to register for the meeting visit dmm.aaas.org.

About AAAS/Science Translational Medicine The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general scientific society, is the publisher of the journal Science (www.sciencemag.org) and the sister journals Science Translational Medicine (www.sciencetranslationalmedicine.org) and Science Signaling (www.sciencesignaling.org). The goal of Science Translational Medicine, launched in October 2009, is to promote human health by providing a forum for communicating the latest biomedical research findings from all established and emerging disciplines relevant to medicine. Despite 50 years of advances in our fundamental understanding of human biology and the emergence of powerful new technologies, the translation of this knowledge into effective new treatments and health measures has been slow. Science Translational Medicine seeks to publish articles that identify and fill the scientific knowledge gaps at the junction of basic research and medical application in order to accelerate the translation of this knowledge into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat human disease.

About DMM Global Foundation The DMM Global Foundation is dedicated to promoting the career pathways for physician scientists. Over the past decade, the members of the Foundation have worked to initiate and establish DMM as one of the leading scientific forums to champion the importance of translational science and medicine via partnerships with leading international institutions, foundations, and scientific publishing groups. The Foundation is proud to be a co organizer and sponsor of DMM 2012.

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Science Translational Medicine and the DMM Global Foundation Announce Days of Molecular Medicine 2012 "The ...