Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation - International HS Research Symposium

Funding for the 2nd International HS Research Symposium was made possible in part by Award Number R13AR056901 from NIAMS. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention by trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Other funding for the event was recieved from generous non-restricted donations from individuals and companies supporting the HSF, who are acknowledged in the Annual Report.

Over 40 scientists, researchers, physicians, and others attended the Second International HS Research Symposium held in San Francisco on March 5, 2009. Eleven attendees were female, a remarkable percentage increase from the 2006 HS Research Symposium, and about half of the attendees were from the United States. Others came from Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

The intensive, all-day program was broken into several sessions, with lively discussions during and after each session. First, the key HS issues that remain unanswered were proposed, followed by both basic and clinical research presentations. Workshops included an HS teaching module for physicians, unroofing as a surgical method for HS, and organizing an HS specialty clinic. In the final segment, attendees discussed the development of standardized clinical and treatment algorithms for HS.

Of special note was a working lunch with a presentation from Dr. Stephen I. Katz, Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskelatal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). He shared exciting new developments on the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) support of medical research.

By bringing together this diverse group of experts in one location, the Symposium helped synthesize the most current and relevant research on the disease, as well as the latest, evidence-based therapeutic approaches in treating HS. Other important outcomes of the meeting include an increased awareness about the disease within the medical community, as well as an expanding, collaborative global network of those interested in improving the quality of life and quality of care for those with HS.

The Program Schedule can be downloaded HERE.
Abstracts from the presenters can be downloaded HERE.

Two month follow-up survey conducted
The HSF distributed a two month follow-up questionnaire to all Symposium attendees. The results of the survey provide overwhelming evidence that this first, and future HSF symposiums will be of great benefit to researchers, scientists and clinicians, as well as to individuals and families who live with Hidradenitis Suppurativa. The HSF would like to thank everyone who supported "Directions 2006" and we are actively seeking financial assistance to help us with future symposiums. A PDF of the results of the survey can be found HERE.

summary of "directions 2006"
Thirty-three doctors and the President of the HSF, Michelle Barlow, attended "Directions 2006," the First International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Research Symposium held in Dessau, Germany from March 30 to April 2, 2006. An international group of scientists, researchers and physicians generously volunteered to share their expertise in the pathogenesis and management of Hidradenitis Suppurativa. The symposium represents the prelude to worldwide medical consensus regarding the clinical description, diagnosis and the future directions necessary for the investigation and research of the molecular and cellular nature of Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

Charting a new course for the international, interdisciplinary, and cooperative evidence-based research of HS, diverse and exciting presentations included new theories on the pathogenesis of the disease, treatment reviews and collaborative debates on disease classification, methods of diagnosis and identifying the most appropriate treatments to relieve pain and suffering.

At the symposium, Michelle Barlow, president of the HSF, presented Gregor B.E. Jemec, MD, a Danish expert on the disease, with the inaugural "HSF Outstanding Investigator Award" for his lifetime achievement in treating and researching HS. Dr. Jemec stated: "The practice of medicine is developing in a number of ways. One very important development has been towards it becoming a more collaborative effort, which involves all legitimate parties: patients, physicians and sometimes also industry. Their common interests far outweigh any differences. The bringing together of physicians and patients in a new, more collaborative relationship allows us to harness all the human energies available for development. Not only of new treatments for the individual patient, but also for the gathering of new insight into the diseases that plague many patients. The HSF is a brilliant example of such collaboration. It is therefore not only to be welcomed as an important new player, but also to be loudly applauded for organizing this meeting."

For Highlights of the Symposium, See the May 2006 issue of the HSF News Brief: LINK

For Symposium Program & ABSTRACTS: PDF

For Symposium Presentations Published in June 2006 Experimental Dermatology: PDF

provided online with permission from the home journal of the HSF experimental dermatology