EBMT Annual Congress, 30th March - 2nd April, 2008

EBMT Annual Congress 30th March- 2nd April 2008 Florence, Italy 34th Annual Meeting of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation 24th Meeting of the EBMT Nurses Group 7th Meeting of the EBMT Data Management Group ______ 29th March 2008 2nd EBMT Patient & Family Day Second Announcement

Welcome Address

Dear Colleagues, Members and Friends

We are very pleased to invite you to attend the 34th annual EBMT meeting, the 24th EBMT Nurses Group meeting and the 7th EBMT Data Management Group meeting in Florence from March 30 – April 2, 2008. It is a great pleasure for us to organise this meeting and we would firstly like to thank the EBMT Board for having chosen Florence for the 2008 event.

We will do our utmost to make the meeting highly scientifically productive for all of you attending. For many years now, Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) has been the only form of cellular therapy employed at a clinical level. Its position between experimental biology and clinical application has resulted in an extraordinary plasticity in the associated technology, which has, in turn, demanded continuous development in the competencies of the specialists. In particular, the last 10 years have radically changed the setting, enabling procedures to cut through the barriers of age and tissue compatibility previously considered insurmountable. As a consequence, the choice of the best combination of cellular source, conditioning regimen and immunosuppressive treatment has become all the more intriguing. A careful evaluation of the emerging data, the development and support of investigational trials and an efficient diffusion of medical information continues to be an exciting task for the EBMT.

Pharmaceutical research has provided new, powerful tools for increasing both safety and efficacy of our procedures, with an undeniable benefit to all our patients. It has also offered alternative treatments to haematological patients, so challenging the indication to transplant in an increasing number of diagnoses. A full and open collaboration with haematologists is needed in order to develop these evidence-based therapeutic strategies and to indicate the proper position of HSCT within them.

The concept of regenerative medicine has rapidly spread far and wide, both in the medical world and amongst the media. Despite the lack of strong evidence of efficacy, an increasing number of specialists have already launched clinical trials for the use of cellular progenitors for the treatment of non-haematological diseases. Bone marrow transplanters can provide these specialists with a unique heritage of experience in cellular collection, manipulation and delivery for clinical use; closer interaction with them might represent an unrepeatable opportunity for maintaining a key role in a field whose limits are still expanding, with huge potential in terms of clinical applications. EBMT has always been part of this background, creating a fundamental network for the best interaction between medical specialists, nurses, data-managers, cellular biologists and bio-engineers. The annual meeting has always reflected these accumulated experiences as part of an expanding EBMT heritage and our main aim is to maintain this standard of excellence. A special effort will be made to encourage the attendance of young scientists, in order to increase the basic scientific content of the meeting.

The city of Florence reveals an exceptional cultural heritage. Thus it provides the organisers of such a meeting with the unique chance to combine medical issues with an extraordinary blend of European traditions and artistic calibre. The meeting venue itself is situated in a historical fortress within walking distance from the city centre where the social events will be held.We hope that this will enable all the attendees to easily enjoy both the meeting and this fascinating city.

We are looking forward to hosting the meeting and to welcoming you to Florence in March 2008!