SOCIETY NEWS

ICN2006—BRIDGING FROM NEUROPATHOLOGY TO DRUG DISCOVERY

The AANP and the Canadian Association of Neuropathologists served as co‐hosts for ICN2006 in San Francisco, September 10–15, 2006. This was indeed a privilege for both our organizations, since the last time the International Congress meeting of the International Society of Neuropathology (ISN) had been convened in North America was Toronto in 1994. This joint meeting also represented the 82^nd annual meeting of the AANP, and the first for us in San Francisco since 1990.

The Congress was a busy one, with 3 full‐days and 2 half days of sessions. Participants learned from the numerous cutting‐edge basic neuroscience and diagnostic neuropathology presentations by invited plenary and symposium speakers. However, the numerous excellent abstracts submitted to this meeting by members of the ISN, CANP, AANP, and others were what particularly made this Congress a success. This was a meeting with global participation: the 383 abstracts we accepted originated from 29 different countries, with 5 of the 7 continents represented. Over 650 people registered for the meeting.

This meeting was generously underwritten by numerous private individuals, institutions, and corporate sponsors. Collectively, these various donations totaled over 100,000 USD. The British, International, and Italian Neuropathology societies sponsored 10 foreign trainee travel awards. The AANP, in conjunction with Dr. Gabrielle Zu Rhein and Dr. Suzanne Mirra, further provided funding for an additional 6 U.S. trainee travel awards. Dr. Mirra also hosted, for the first time, an extremely successful trainee luncheon on Tuesday, attended by 50 young investigators from all over the world.

Many people worked very hard to make this week possible. I, and indeed everyone who attended, owe a debt of gratitude to the scientific organizers of the ICN2006, Drs. Stephen DeArmond and Scott Vandenberg, as well as the program committee and its chairperson, Dr. Steven Moore. These individuals, plus Drs. Cedric Raine, Leroy Sharer, Françoise Gray, Jeff Golden, and Charles Eberhart orchestrated superb half‐day morning symposia with superb invited speakers. These symposia were extremely well‐attended and covered a the full gamut of topics in neuropathology, including prion diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, adult and pediatric brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, muscle and nerve disorders, human immunodeficiency virus infections, and stem cell research. Attendees heard superlative keynote addresses including Nobel Laureate Dr. Stanley Prusiner, Dr. Heidi Phillips, Dr. Donna Ferriero, and Dr. Kevin Campbell, with Dr. Campell sponsored by the CANP.

The meeting could not have happened at all, however, without the devoted efforts by the people helping with the behind‐the‐scenes administrative and financial details. We all owe a special thanks to Drs. Richard L. Davis, Dr. Joseph Parisi, Dr. George Perry, and Mrs. Peggy Harris.

Throughout this week we saw how neuropathologists have played an integral role in “Bridging from Neuropathology to Drug Discovery”—the theme chosen for ICN2006. Over the last few years many papers have appeared in the literature written by neuropathologists that have provided feedback to our clinical colleagues on the effectiveness of therapies or on possible targets for therapy. We of course can only highlight a few here.

We are all cognizant of how the advent of highly active retroviral therapy has dramatically changed the pattern of brain and spinal cord findings that we are seeing at autopsy in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Important morphological studies by Dr. Françoise Gray, president of the ICN2006 meeting, and colleagues helped underscore this point.

Other basic science insights have already been made and we cannot foresee which of these in the future may serve to trigger advances in drug development. For example, the important work by Dr. Sukriti Nag, 2006 president of the Canadian Association of Neuropathologists, on the blood‐brain‐barrier may provide our clinical colleagues with ways to manipulate this barrier for more efficacious drug delivery.

In my own career over the years it seems I have at times interacted with therapeutics in a different way—that is, alerting clinicians to the potential adverse effects that various medical practices or specific drugs or novel therapies can have on the nervous system.

I was very fortunate to begin my career at the University of Colorado, and to start my neuropathology fellowship with Dr. Michael Norenberg just at the time when he had come up with a novel insight into the possible cause of a disease, namely, central pontine myelinolysis (CPM). In the late 1970s he had seen a significant number of hyponatremic patients with CPM come to autopsy, and realized that many of these patients had been treated by aggressive administration of intravenous hypertonic saline to correct their low serum sodium levels. At that time it was felt that rapid elevation of levels was necessary to prevent the seizures of severe acute hyponatremia. Often the patients were admitted to hospital after hours, and a concerted effort was made by the admitting resident physicians‐in‐training to have the electrolyte values corrected by the time the senior attending physician made rounds in the morning.

A bit more history is helpful. CPM, when first described in 1959 by Adams et al (1), was definitely a new, previously unknown condition. It had its own signature morphological features of a triangular sharply‐outlined area of myelin loss in the rostral central pons that seemed to suffuse out from the midline. Such a striking disorder could hardly have been overlooked by earlier neuropathologists. It was not lost on observers that this first description of CPM in 1959 coincided with the advent in the late 1950’s of the “plastic revolution”, ie. development of plastic tubing inserted into veins via which fluids and electrolytes could be rapidly replaced. By the time that Mike Norenberg came up with his brilliant observation in the late 1970s, it was already strongly suspected that CPM was related to electrolyte balance. But the leading contender at that time was the hyponatremia itself. Mike Norenberg thought differently, and in the process he taught me a lesson that has always remained with me, namely that “every once in a while answers to problems in medical practice can be found by looking at things in the 180 degree OPPOSITE fashion or ‘the other way “round”.’ ”

He suspected that the CPM patients he was seeing in his practice had developed their disorder not “in spite of the rapid correction of their hyponatremia”—(as papers in the literature at the time suggested)—but because of that therapy. We, in rats, and Laureno and colleagues in dogs, went on to show in experimental model systems that rapid correction of hyponatremia, usually from a hyponatremic baseline, caused demyelinative lesions in animals that paralleled those seen in the human. Further detailed studies on CPM by Dr. Amyn Rojiani and colleagues both back in the 1990s and most recently in the January issue of Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology (2) continue to provide insights into this disease.

In our own experience, despite insights into the role of too‐rapid and excessive correction of hyponatremia, controlling the rate and amplitude of serum sodium elevations in some patients remains difficult for our clinical colleagues. Unfortunately because of this, and because electrolyte disturbances are so common in medicine, CPM has not been completely eradicated. Then . . . and now the disease continues to pop up, with 7 cases seen by us since 2001 and even two more seen since publication of this article earlier this year. As noted by Amyn Rojiani, “vast gaps still persist in our understanding” of CPM.

Turning to the area of biological therapeutic agents and the adverse effects that they can cause, I recently was involved with a situation with direct national implications for drug therapy.

Immune response modifying drugs are currently in vogue for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) and patients testify to their benefits. Natalizumab (Tysabri, Biogen, Idec.) has provided significant amelioration of symptoms and lesions for patients who suffer from multiple sclerosis. Efficacy has been clearly documented in a number of large clinical trials. Unfortunately modifying the immune system, and particularly reducing lymphocyte influx into the central nervous system, which is the mode of action of Tysabri, has also had a “dark side” for a few patients. We do not fully understand what makes these few patients particularly vulnerable to the effects of altering immune surveillance in the brain. Three patients who received Tysabri developed a rare brain infection not previously associated with MS—namely progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Hence, this unpredictable adverse effect could be directly attributed to receipt of this drug. Neuropathologists at the Massachusetts General and physicians in Belgium, Dr. Andrew Bollen and colleagues at UC‐San Francisco, and we jointly alerted neurologists and their patients to this devastating consequence. The company that marketed Tysabri, in turn promptly, and responsibly, recalled the drug from the market. Panels of experts, including a neuropathologist, were convened at a workshop in Washington, to better understand why PML had developed in patients who had received Tysabri. Guidelines were eventually suggested for closely monitoring patients for possible PML and the medication has now been reintroduced on the market—with these guidelines in place. The actions of the company during this time were exemplary and serve as the gold standard for other pharmaceutical companies when they run into similar problems in the future. But even with these new clinical guidelines in place, have we seen the last of PML in MS patients? Possibly not, according to Dr. Joseph Berger, who is an expert in neuroinfectious diseases in immunocompromised patients and was a co‐author of the editorial in the NEJM that accompanied the 3 original articles. He feels that as more MS patients receive Tysabri or similar drugs, over longer periods of time, we will be seeing even more cases of PML. For that we need to stay tuned, and stay vigilant. . . .

Finally, this ICN2006 Congress has focused on development of selective therapies, particularly for brain tumors. Understanding how epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and other molecular molecules drive the growth of brain tumors has already allowed translation of basic science insights into the development of targeted therapies such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

These innovative therapeutic trials must continue if we hope to make any progress in curing high grade gliomas. And we neuropathologists need to continue to document, at the tissue level, the favorable—and less commonly adverse—effects of each new variation in therapy that is attempted by our clinical colleagues. Most patients with high grade gliomas of course enter these trials fully cognizant of the risks they are taking. They know that they will most assuredly die if they simply receive the standard radiation and chemotherapy we currently have to offer them. Unless we develop more effective, targeted therapies for patients with high grade gliomas we will continue to see the negative side effects of the therapies we currently do have to offer.

Radiation therapy has been with us for almost a century and has prolonged life for many thousands of cancer sufferers. The positive impact on treating patients with all types of cancers obviously outweighs the side effects, but these adverse effects were noticed almost immediately after discovery. By 1948 Cahan and others had established criteria for tumors deemed to be radiation‐induced.

Clinicians and patients in 2006 struggle with the long term effects that external beam radiation therapy and combined radiochemotherapy may have on cognition, vasculature, and stunted growth in treated patients, especially patients treated when they were children. Radiation‐induced tumors of the central and peripheral nervous systems are becoming a noticeable subset of tumors seen at referral institutions. We recently detailed 22 examples of radiation‐induced meningiomas, gliomas, and sarcomas seen over a 16 year interval at our institution, with two cases more appearing in the short four‐month interval between submission of this manuscript and the galley proofs. A further two radiation‐induced meningiomas have appeared in the last month, including a radiation induced meningioma occurring 29 years after prophylactic craniospinal radiation for acute lymphocytic leukemia at age 5 years (one of the most well‐known groups of patients to suffer this side effect). Perhaps this development of a large tumor requiring a neurosurgical operation is rather a short term inconvenience in comparison with the fact that her cognitive function at age 34 years is equal to that of a 12 year old, she is less than 5 feet tall despite a family phenotype that suggests she should be much taller, and has never been able to hold a job. . . .

The suffering of even one patient due to an iatrogenic therapy regimen should drive all of us to seek safer, more efficacious, therapeutic alternatives than what we currently have for so many nervous system diseases. That, in part, is what this International Congress 2006 has been all about—how we as neuropathologists and neuroscientists can bridge that gap from the research bench, or even from the mere microscope of a diagnostic surgical and autopsy neuropathologist, to a better future for patients with devastating diseases.

I want to thank everyone who came to ICN2006—and let us hope that at the next International Congress in Salzburg in 2010 one or more of those attendees will provide the basic or translational science information that might lead to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, glioblastoma, or any other of the all‐too‐many neurological diseases that plague our society.

Reminder concerning updates of the online Membership Directory of the ISN and of the Society News: Members of the ISN and members of National Societies who changed their address or parts of the address are asked to send their complete address by e‐mail to the Secretary General of the ISN, Seth Love. Changes of the officers of National Societies and special events in these Societies should be announced by e‐mail to the Project Secretary, Leila Chimelli. (The corresponding e‐mail addresses are indicated next to the “Dear Reader” column in this issue of Brain Pathology).

NATIONAL SOCIETIES

Argentina. The address of the Argentine Society is: Department of Neuropathology, Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas “Dr Raúl Carrea”—FLENI, c/o Dra. Ana Lía Taratuto; Dr Gustavo Sevlever, Montanese 2325‐(1428) Buenos Aires, Argentina. Tel.: +54‐1 788‐3444; Fax +54‐1 784‐7620.

Austria. The President of the Austrian Society of Neuropathology is Dr Marcus Drlicek, Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, AKH4J, Währinger Gürtel 18‐20, A‐1097 Vienna, Austria; Tel.: +43‐1‐40400‐5514; Fax: +43‐1‐40400‐5511; E‐mail: Marcus.Drlicek@kin.at. Secretary is Dr Johannes Hainfellner, Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, AKH4J, Währinger Gürtel 18‐20, A‐1097 Vienna, Austria; Tel: +43‐1‐40400‐5507; Fax: +43‐1‐40400‐5511; E‐mail: Johannes.Hainfellner@kin.at. Treasurer: Dr Julia Wanschitz, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria; Tel: +43‐512‐504‐3885; Fax: +43‐512‐504‐3852; Email: Julia.Wanschitz@uibk.ac.at.

The address of the Austrian Society is: Österreichische Gesellschaft für Neuropathologie, c/o Dr Johannes Hainfellner, Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, AKH4J, Währinger Gürtel 18‐20, A‐1097 Vienna, Austria.

Australia and New Zealand. At the 2005 Annual General Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Neuropathology, Associate Professor Jillian Kril was elected president. (Department of Pathology, D06, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. E‐mail: Jilliank@med.usyd.edu.au). The Secretary/Treasurer is Dr Antony Harding (Department of Pathology, D06, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. Tel.: +61 2 9036 9027; Fax +61 2 9351 3429; E‐mail: tonyh@med.usyd.edu.au). The website is: http://www.pathology.usyd.edu.au/ANZSNP/anzsnp.html

Baltic Association of Neuropathologists. A multinational neuropathological association with colleagues from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania has been founded. The first annual meeting has been held in Tartu, Estonia.

Belgium. The president of the Belgian Society of Neuropathology is Prof Dr Jan De Bleecker. The treasurer is Prof Dr Peter Van Den Bergh. The secretary is Dr Alex Michotte. The address of the Belgische Groepering voor Neuropathologie/ Groupement Belge de Neuropathologie is: Dr Alex Michotte, Department of Pathology and Neurology, AZ Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan, 101, B‐1090 Brussels, Belgium; Tel.: +32‐2‐4775080; Fax: +32‐2‐4775085; E‐mail: alex.michotte@az.vub.ac.be .

Brazil. The address of the Brazilian Society is: c/o Leila Chimelli, Serviço de Anatomia Patologica, Hospital Universitario—UFRJ, Ilha do Fundao—Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21941‐590—Brazil; E‐mail: chimelli@hucff.ufrj.br; Tel./fax: +55‐21‐25622450.

Bulgaria. The address of the Bulgarian society is: c/o Dr Dimitar Dimitrov, Secretary, Department of Neuropathology, Medical Academy Base 2, Belp More Strasse 8, 1527 Sofia, Bulgaria.

Canada. The Canadian Association of Neuropathologists held its 46^th Annual Meeting in conjunction with the XVIth International Congress of Neuropathology in San Francisco. Dr Edward Johnson was elected new president of the Association. His address is: Dr. Edward Johnson, President, Canadian Association of Neuropathologists, 5B4.16 WC Mackenzie Health Sciences Center Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6G 2R7 Telephone: 1‐780‐407‐8952/Fax: 1‐780‐407‐3009 e‐mail: edwardj@ualberta.ca The new secretary/treasurer is Dr Rob Macaulay. His contact information is: Dr Rob Macaulay, Department of Pathology Room 738, Mackenzie Building QE2 Health Sciences Center, 5788 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 1V8, telephone (902) 473‐3156 (office), (902) 473‐1049 (fax), e‐mail: robert.macaulay@cdha.nshealth.ca

Niagara Falls, Ontario will be the site of the 47^th Annual Meeting, from September 5^th (Wednesday) until September 8^th (Saturday), 2007. It is being organized by Dr Boleslaw Lach and the Neuropathology group at MacMaster University. Full details are available on the CANP website http://www.canp.ca. Dr Lach can be contacted at boleklach2@hotmail.com

The business meeting was dominated by discussion over the recent change in status of the discipline from ‘Specialty’ to ‘Sub‐specialty’. There are currently 5 centers with Residency Training Programs; University of British Colombia (Vancouver), University of Calgary, University of Western Ontario (London), University of Toronto and the Université de Montrèal. Trainees currently in these programs will be certified in Neuropathology and will qualify for Fellowship in the Royal College. As it stands, future candidates for Neuropathology training will require eligibility for FRCPC certification (typically in Anatomic Pathology or Neurology) before admission into a Neuropathology training program. Efforts to reverse the status change are ongoing. Current representatives to the International Society of Neuropathologists are: Dr Ian Mackenzie, Dr Jean Michaud and Dr Marc DelBigio.

China. Prof Xu Qing‐Zhong, Xuan Wu Hospital, serves as chairman of the Society. The address of the Chinese Society of Neuropathology is: c/o Assoc Prof Lu De‐Hong, Secretary, Department of Pathology, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Institute of Medicine, Beijing 100053, People’s Republic of China; Tel. +86‐301.3355‐2329. Fax: +86‐3042809.

Croatia. The following officers of the Croatian Section of Neuropathology were elected as members of the board: President: Prof Dr Vladimir Hlavka; Honorary President: Prof Dr Nenad Grcevic; Vice President: Prof Dr Dubravka Jadro‐Santel, Doc. Dr Jasna Talan‐Hranilovic; Secretary: Dr Kamelija Zarkovic. The address of the President is: Department of Neuropathology, University Hospital Rebro, Kispaticeva 12, 41000 Zagreb, Croatia; Tel/Fax.: +385 01/222‐706.

Czechoslovakia. The address of the Czechoslovakian Society is: c/o Dr M. Elleder (Secretary), Hlava Institute of Pathology, Medical Faculty, Studnickova 2, 128 00 Praha 2, Czechoslovakia.

France. The President of the Society is Prof D. Hénin, the Treasurer is Dr Marielle Baudrimont, and the Secretary is Dr Catherine Lacroix, Laboratoire de Neuropathologie, CHU de Bicêtre. 94275 Le Kremlin Bicêtre Cede; Tel/Fax: +33‐1 4521 2761; E‐mail: catherine.lacroix@club-internet.fr. The web site is (log‐in required): http://www.sf‐neuro.org/index1.php3?pageID=sfn_sfnp

Germany. The current president is Prof Karl H. Plate (Frankfurt). Treasurer of the Society is Prof. Clemens Sommer (Mainz), Secretary General is Prof Wolfgang Brück, Göttingen. The next annual meeting will be held on September 5–8, 2007, in Greifswald; Prof. Rolf W. Warzok will be the Congress President. The web site of the Society (http://www.dgnn.de) now includes a “Rarity Register” which aims to collect extremely rare cases from all institutions for educational and scientific purposes.

Greece. President of the Hellenic society of Neuropathology: E. Patsouris, Professor and Chairman of Pathology; Vice President: M. Panayiota, Assistant Professor; Secretary: E. Chatzigianni, Pathologist, Treasurer: C. Panayiota, Pathologist. Address for correspondence: Prog. E. Patsouris, University of Athens, Department of Pathology, Mikras Asias 75, Athens, GR‐11527 Goudi, Greece; Tel.: +30‐210‐7462158/7462017/7462229; Fax: +30‐210‐7462157; E‐mail: panatomy@med.uoa.gr or epatsour@meduoa.gr.

Hungary. President of the Society: Dr Catherine Majtényi; Tel.: +36 1 3915400; Fax: +36 1 3915409; E‐mail: maj13637@mail.iif.hu. The General Secretary is László Havas, Tel.: +36 1 3915401; Fax: +36 1 3915409; E‐mail: havas@opni.hu. The Secretaries are Gábor G. Kovács, Tel./Fax: +36 1 3915409; E‐mail: kovacsgg@opni.hu, and Ferenc Garzuly, Tel.: +3694 311542; E‐mail: garzuly@axelero.hu. Treasurer: Dr L. Havas; Secretary General: Dr C. Majtènyi, Laboratory of Neuropathology, National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, H‐1021 Budapest. Tel.: +36‐1‐391‐5400; Fax: +36‐1‐391‐5305; E‐mail: h13637maj@ella.hu; Members of the Board: Dr P. Molnar, Dr G. G. Kovacs, Dr J. Engelhardt. The address of the Hungarian Society of Neuropathology is: National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology Department of Neuropathology, Huvösvölgyi str.116. 1021 Budapest, Hungary

India. The address of the Section of Neuropathology of India is: c/o Dr Chitra Sarkar, Department of Pathology All India Institute for Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi‐110029; Tel.: +91‐11‐26593371; Fax: +91‐11‐26588663.

Ireland. The President of the Irish Society of Neuropathology is Dr Catherine Keohane, Consultant Neuropathologist, Department of Pathology (Neuropathology), Cork University Hospital. E‐mail: ckeohane@shb.ie, the Secretary is Dr Michael A. Farrell (E‐mail: mfarrell@indigo.ie) and the Treasurer is Dr Francesca M Brett (E‐mail: fmbrett@iol.ie). The INP Soc continues to meet at least twice yearly to discuss difficult and interesting cases.

Italy. The president of the Society is Prof Maria Teresa Giordana, Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, the president elect is Prof Alessandro Simonati, Department of Neurological and Visual Sciences, University of Verona, the secretary‐treasurer is Prof Marina Melone, Department of Neurological Sciences, Second University of Naples (Secretary‐Treasurer). Dept. of Neurological Sciences, Second University of Naples, School of Medicine, Policlinico Federico II, Isola 8, Ed. 10, Via Sergio Pansini, 5 80131 Napoli; Tel.: Secretary +39081‐566.6809; Fax +39081‐566.6805; E‐mail: marina.melone@unina2.it. The Italian Association of Neuropathology (AINP) meets one time per year on annual general meeting, jointly with Italian Association for Research on the Aging Brain. The web site is: http://www.neuropathology.it.

Japan. The web site in English of the Japanese Society for Neuropathology (JSNP) is now available at http://jsnp.jp/en/.

Neuropathology, the official journal of the Society, is quarterly published in English. The Journal welcomes submission of original papers from non‐members of the Society. For details please contact Prof K. Nagashima of Hokkaido University School of Medicine, at Fax no. +81‐11‐758‐4128.

The address of the Japanese Society of Neuropathology is: c/o Business Center for Academic Societies Japan, 16‐9 Honkomagome 5‐chome, Bunkyo‐ku, Tokyo 113, Japan; Fax: +81‐3‐5814‐5820. E‐mail: nakagawa@bcasj.or.jp.

The President is Prof Kazuo Nagashima, Laboratory of Molecular & Cellular Pathology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine. Kita 15, Nishi 7, Kita‐ku, Sapporo 060‐8638; E‐mail: knagasi@med.hokudai.ac.jp. The Secretary is Kazuhiko Ikeda, Department of Schizophrenia Research, Tokyo Institute of Psychiatry, 2‐1‐8 Kamikitazawa, Setagaya‐ku, Tokyo 156‐8585; E‐mail: kazikeda@prit.go.jp. The Treasurer is Imaharu Nakano, Department of Neurology, Jichi Medical School, Minami‐kawachi‐machi, Kawachi‐gun, Tochigi 329‐0498; E‐mail: inakano@ichi.ac.jp .

The international communication committee of the Japanese Society of Neuropathology now comprised the following members: Kazuhiko Ikeda (Concurrent Secretary‐General, see above); Tetsuyuki Kitamoto, Department of Neurological Science, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2‐1 Seiryo‐machi, Aoba‐ku, Sendai 980‐8575; E‐mail: kitamoto@mail.cc.tohoku.ac.jp; Kenji Kosaka, Fukushimura Hospital, 19‐14 Yamanaka, Noyori‐cho, Toyohashi 441‐8124; E‐mail: kosaka@fukushimura.net; Imaharu Nakano (Concurrent Treasurer, see above); Yoichi Nakazato, Department of Pathology, Gunma University School of Medicine, 3‐39‐22 Showa‐machi, Maebashi 371‐8511; E‐mail: nakazato@news.sb.gunma-u.ac.jp.

Mexico. The Mexican Neuropathology Group has 23 members by now.

The officers are as follows: Laura Chavez‐Macias, President; Dr Rosa Maria Vicuna, Secretary (E‐mail: laurachm@prodigy.net.mx); Dr Pedro Pasquel, Treasurer.

The address is: Unidad de Patologia, Hospital General Mexico, Dr Balmis no. 148, Mexico, D.F. 06726, Mexico. Tel.: +52(5)578‐46‐08 and Fax: +52(5)584‐01‐02; E‐mail: diagno@infosel.net.mx.

The Netherlands. The president of the Dutch Society of Neuropathology is Prof Dr Max Kros, secretary and treasurer is Dr Sjoerd van Duinen and the third member is Prof Dr Annemieke Rozemuller‐Kwakkel.

The address is: dr SG van Duinen, dept of Pathology LUMC, building 1 L1‐Q, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. Tel. +31 71 5266633 Fax +31 71 5248158. E‐mail: S.G.van_Duinen@lumc.nl

The representative for the ISN of the Dutch Society for Neuropathology is Dr J.M. (Max) Kros.

Poland. The officers of the Polish Association of Neuropathologists have been elected to serve from 2005 to 2008:

Prof Dr med. Janusz Szymas, President of the Polish Association of Neuropathologists; Doc. Dr med. Teresa Wierzba‐Bobrowicz, Vice‐President; Dr med. Ewa Bertrand, Treasurer; Dr Agnieszka Kaliszek, Secretary; Dr med. Ewa Iycka‐Wieszewska, Member of the Board; Dr med. Wiesawa Grajkowska, Member of the Board; Doc Dr Ewa Matyja, Editor‐in‐chief of Folia Neuropathologica.

The post address of the Polish Association of Neuropathologists is: c/o Dr Agnieszka Kaliszek (Secretary), Medical Research Center, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawinskiego Street, 02 106 Warszawa, Poland; Tel.: +48 22 6086560; Fax: +48 61 6619812, +48 22 6685532

Official WWW page of the Polish Association of Neuropathologists is: http://snp.amu.edu.pl/. This page is prepared in Polish as well as in English edition.

Folia Neuropathologica is the official journal of the Polish Association of Neuropathologists and the Medical Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences. For details please contact Doc. Dr Maria Dambska, Editor‐in‐chief of Folia Neuropathologica, via E‐mail: matyja@cmdik.pan.pl or visit http://www.termedia.pl/magazine.php?magazine_id=20&magazine_subpage=CURRENT.

Portugal. President of the Portuguese Society of Neuropathology is: Prof José Pimentel, Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Neurology, Hospital de Santa Maria, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649‐035 Lisbon, Portugal; Tel./Fax: +351‐21 795 93 29; E‐mail: josepimentel@fm.ul.pt.

President, Professor José Pimentel; Vice‐President, Dra. Mrinalini Honavar; Secretary, Dra. Cândida Barroso; Treasurer, Dra. Sofia Oliveira. The address is: Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Neurology, Hospital de Santa Maria, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649‐035 Lisbon; Tel./Fax: +351‐21 795 93 29; E‐mail: josepimentel@fm.ul.pt.

Romania. The Romanian Circle of Neuropathology has been renamed. the Romanian Society of Neuropathology. The president of the society is Dr Arcadiu Petrescu, Clinic and Methodologic Institute of Cerebro‐Vascular Diseases. Sos. Berceni 10, CP 61‐167, 75500‐Bucharest; Tel.: +40‐1‐6837831; Fax: +40‐1‐2116608, the vice president is Dr Inumioara Mihaela Cojocaru and the secretary is Dr Marilena Alexianu.

The Address of the Romanian Society of Neuropathology is: c/o Dr Marilena Alexianu Laboratoire de Neuropathologie, Clinique de Neurologie “Gh.Marinesco”, Hopital Colentina, Sos.Stefan cel Mare 19‐21, Bucarest, Roumanie, code postal 120125; E‐mail: dralexianu@yahoo.com.

Russia. The address of the Russian Society of Neuropathology is: c/o Prof Dr Vadim N. Shvalev, Department of Cardiovascular Pathology, Myasnikov Cardiological Institute, Cardiological Research Center, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, 3rd Cherepkovskaya Street, Moscow 121552, Russia; Tel.: +7‐95‐414 6699; Fax: +7‐95‐415 2962.

Scandinavia. The Scandinavian Society of Neuropathology has approximately 70 members mainly from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. The Society organizes the Northern Lights Neuroscience Symposia, which are open for other countries as well as other disciplines. Addresses: President: Dr Sverre Mork, Department of Pathology and Medical Genetics. St. Olaws Hospital, 7006 Trondheim, Norway, phone: (47/ 73868836); Secretary: Dr David Scheie, Dept. of Pathology, Rikshospitalet, 0027 Oslo, Norway, Phone: (47) 23071466; Treasurer: Dr Helle Broholm, Laboratory of Neuropathology, section 6201, The Michaelis building, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; E‐mail: hbroholm@rh.dk. The Society has its own web site: http://www.ssn.suite.dk

South Africa. There is no formal body representing the speciality in South Africa, but all contacts are welcome. Prof Richard Hewlett has returned to the Neuropathology Unit at Stellenbosch University Medical School, where he is looking after the diagnostic and teaching service.

Spain. President of the Club Espanol de Neuropatologia is Pr Felix. Cruz‐Sanchez; Secretary is Dr Francisco Alameda Quitllet. The address of the Spanish Society of Neuropathology is: c/o Dr F. Alameda, Servicio de Anatomia Patologica, Hospital del Mar, P.Maritimo 25‐29, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Tel./Fax: + 34 93 221 13 69; E‐mail: 86780@imas.imim.es

Switzerland. The president of the Swiss Society of Neuropathology is Prof Dr Robert Janzer, Institut Universitaire de Pathologie, Division de Neuropathologie, Rue de Vignon 27, 1011 Lausanne, Phone: 0041‐21 314 7171. The Secretary and address of the Swiss Society is Dr Michael Moschopulos, Institute of Pathology, Cantonal Hospital Aarau, CH‐5001 Aarau, Switzerland; Tel.: +41 62 838 5293; Fax: +41 62 838 5299; E‐mail: michael.moschopulos@ksa.ch. The Treasurer is Prof Dr M. Tolnay, Instiute of Pathology, Schönbeinstraße 40, 4003 Basel, Phone 0041‐61 265 2896

The website is: http://www.ssn.unizh.ch/

United Kingdom. The President of the British Neuropathological Society is Prof Bill Blakemore, the Vice President is Prof Jim Lowe, the Secretary is Dr. David Hilton and the Treasurer is Dr Meenakshi Mirakhur. The address of the British Neuropathological Society is: c/o Dr. David Hilton, Department of Histopathology, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth PL6 8DH, UK Tel: +44 1752 763599, Fax: + 44 1752 763590, email: david.hilton@phnt.swest.nhs.uk . The web site is (log‐in required): http://www.bns.org.uk.

United States. The President of the American Association of Neuropathologists, Inc. is: Dr Barbara J. Crain. The Secretary‐Treasurer is Dr George Perry, College of Sciences, University of Texas at San Antonio, 6900 North Loop 1604 West, San Antonio, Texas 78249‐0661; Tel.: +1 210 458 4450; Fax: +1 210 458 4445; E‐mail: george.perry@utsa.edu.

The American Association of Neuropathology will meet in conjunction with the American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP) as part of the Experimental Biology meetings in Washington, D.C., in April 2007. The web site of the Association is http://www.neuropath.org

The ISN Book Series Pathology & Genetics

The very latest genetic information is covered in the ISN Book Series Pathology & Genetics and its clinical relevance is emphasized. Structural changes as well as modern diagnostic tools for examination of tissue specimens are key ingredients. The most recent developments regarding pathophysiology and the molecular background of the various diseases are presented.

Each volume cost 95 USD and is written by a large number of experts from all over the world. They can be ordered from Brain Pathology Editorial Office. Sample chapters and order forms can be downloaded from the website: http://www.brainpathology.com

Now available. Cerebrovascular Diseases, volume 5 in the ISN Publication Series “Pathology & Genetics,” provides up‐to‐date information on clinical features, epidemiology, imaging methods, genetics, pathophysiology, pathology and therapeutic influences of all major diseases associated with various cerebrovascular abnormalities and circulatory disturbances in the brain and spinal cord.

The book consists of short, specific chapters written by more than 50 international experts on cerebral vasculature and blood flow, and presents the information in a comprehensive and easily accessible manner. The chapters include numerous high quality color images and a large number of carefully selected references.

Developmental Neuropathology. Volume Editors: Jeffrey A. Golden, United States, Brian N. Harding, United Kingdom.

Neurodegeneration. The Molecular Pathology of Dementias and Movement Disorders. Volume Editor: Dennis W. Dickson, United States. Chapter Editors: Catherine Bergeron Canada, Jean‐Jacques Hauw, France, Kurt A. Jellinger, Austria, Hidehiro Mizusawa, Japan, Peter Lantos, United Kingdom, Advisory Editors: John A. Hardy, United States, Yoshikuni Miyuno, Japan.

Structural and Molecular Basis of Skeletal Muscle Diseases. CD‐ROM. Volume Editor: George Karpati. Advisory Editors: Maria Molnar, Hans H. Goebel, Kiichi Arahata, Alan E. H. Emery, Eric Hoffman, Eric Shoubridge. This title is not currently available in print.