ENDOCRINOLOGYIN THE NEWMILLENNIUM

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Scientific Creativity:Mission Impossible?

BES 2000 - The Best of Birmingham

Headline-HittingHormones

Scientific Creativity:Mission Impossible?

BES 2000 - The Best of Birmingham

Headline-HittingHormones

Editor: Dr Ann LoganAssociate Editor: Dr Diana Wood

Co-ordination: Lara ThompsonDesign: Martin Harris

Society for Endocrinology17/18 The Courtyard, Woodlands,

Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4NQFax: 01454-616071

Email: info@endocrinology.orgWeb: http://www.endocrinology.org

Company Limited by GuaranteeRegistered in England No. 349408

Registered Office as aboveRegistered Charity No. 266813

©2000 Society for Endocrinology

The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Society

OfficersProf S Franks (Chairman)

Prof SR Bloom (General Secretary)Prof JC Buckingham (Treasurer)

Dr MG Parker (Programme Secretary)

Council MembersProf VKK Chatterjee, Prof AB Grossman,

Prof IA Hughes, Dr A Logan, Prof JP Monson, Dr RJM Ross,

Prof PM Stewart, Prof GP Vinson

StaffExecutive Director: Sue Thorn

Personal Assistant: Brenda ParsonsPublications Manager: Steve Byford

Production Editor: Ailsa Bailey (née Palmer) Desk Editor: Lara Thompson

Editorial Assistants: Lucy Cracknell and Carolyn CoweyPeer Review Administrator: Lyn Cole

Administrative Assistant: Susan WilliamsSales and Marketing Officer: Fitzroy Lewis

Tel: 01454-616046 for the aboveSociety Services Manager: Julie Cragg

Secretary: Christine DavisTraining Courses and Grants Administrator: Ann Lloyd

Conference Manager: Helen GregsonConference Assistant: Jo Heisse

Tel: 01454-619347 for the aboveFinance and Administration Manager: Janet Ashton

Accounts and Administration Assistant: Christopher WolfeIT Officer: Jonathan Seagrave

Tel: 01454-619036 for the aboveExternal Relations Officer/

Business Development Officer: Tom ParkhillPublic Relations Assistant: Victoria Withy

Tel: 01454-201612 for the above

2000 Advertising RatesAdvertise your event in The Endocrinologist!

Members: Mono - Half page £100 Full page £150Others: Mono - Half page £300 Full page £450

Colour - Full page £995

Deadline for news items for the next issue: 16 August 2000.

Please send contributions to the above address.

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L As we head towards the end ofanother academic year, and look

forward to our hard-earned summerbreaks, we can reflect on what hasbeen a momentous time for theSociety for Endocrinology.

Our Society has seen significantchanges, with a redefinition of itsmission and expansion of its services.This change in gear for Britishendocrinology was accompanied byour most ambitious British EndocrineSocieties meeting to date, held jointlywith the European Federation ofEndocrine Societies, at the excellentInternational Convention Centre inBirmingham. Our confidence in theprogramme and venue was shown tobe well-founded by the record numberof registrants we attracted.

The meeting was a great successand your feedback was almostunanimously enthusiastic, with notone negative reaction to Birminghamitself - something that was particularlyheart-warming for us Brummies, pastand present. There were manyscientific highlights in the meeting, butwe must single out for a specialmention the keynote lecture by JohnChallis on ‘Endocrinology in the NewMillennium’. John has been kindenough to summarise his thought-provoking, radical and timely lecturefor you on page 14. Read on and beinspired. You can find general reportson the meeting from young, less youngand specialist endocrinologists on page 6.

Tom Parker and Victoria Withy inthe Society office work extremely hardto raise the profile of endocrinology,and were very successful in generatingpublicity from the BES meeting. I hopethat you all caught the BBC Radio 4interview with Judah Folkman and thethree articles in New Scientist thatresulted from our press releases. Readabout them on page 7.

You won’t be surprised to hear thatour heroes, Professor Sir HumphreyLyggande and Dr Rhys Eppter, wereoverheard in the bar at the conference,and our intrepid reporters havemanaged to bring you a snatch of theirdiscussion. Are there any stifledendocrinologists out there who craveartistic fulfilment in their work? If so,you should turn straight to theirincisive thoughts on creativity inscience on page 13.

On page 8, Sue Thorn, IanHenderson and Steve Franks evaluatethe proposal to set up a new BioscienceFederation to represent bioscience in the UK. They describe the Society’sresponse to the idea, and would bevery pleased to hear from you if youhave any strong feelings concerning its role.

Together with the usual round-upof news and views, announcements,reports, Webspinning and bookreviews, this edition is bursting withinformation that you can’t do without!

ANN LOGANDIANA WOOD

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Front CoverDNA autoradiogram

TEK Image/Science Photo Library

20TH JOINT MEETING OF THE

British Endocrine Societies (BES)

26-29 March 2001Belfast Waterfront Hall and Hilton Hotel, Belfast

Abstract deadline:29 November 2001

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Hormones and SportThis is the topical subject of a symposium organised by the Society at

Imperial College, London on 4 September 2000. The meeting will be chairedby Professors Peter Radford and Vivian James. Talks and speakers include:

• Hormonal and metabolic responses to exercise Prof C Williams• The effects of intense exercise on the reproductive system in women

Prof M Warren• Growth hormones and insulin Prof PH Sönksen• Proof of androgen action Dr S Bhasin• Hormone abuse in sport: an historical perspective Prof Dr WW Franke• Behavioural effects of androgen Prof Dr K Christiansen• Monitoring and control of hormone abuse Professor D Cowan• Ethical aspects and prevalence of hormone use in sport Mrs M Verroken (UK

Sport)• The role of the physician Dr RT Dawson

Contact Helen Gregson for further information (Tel: 01454-619347; Fax: 01454-616071; Email: helen.gregson@endocrinology.org).

Membership ChangeJunior Membership will replace the Society’s Student Membership category fromJanuary 2001, following the Council of Management’s approval of this proposal attheir last meeting.

Junior Members should be under 30 or earning less than a specified figure,currently £15 000. Date of birth details will be required on the annual renewalinvoice in order to qualify as a Junior Member.

Clinical Committee - Nominations soughtMembers are requested to provide nominations for four new members of theCommittee, to replace those due to retire (retiring members may apply forre–election). Forms are available from the Society’s Web site or from Julie Cragg or Chris Davis in the Bristol Office. Nomination deadline: 31 July 2000.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTSYoung Endocrinologists Basic Science Review LectureApplications are invited from scientists who are no more than 6 years post-PhD topresent a 30-minute review lecture on any subject under the general heading ofendocrinology. This is likely to relate to a current or recent area of personalendocrine research. The Society’s Awards Committee will judge applications usingthe standard criteria of originality, scientific quality and general relevance/impact.

The successful applicant will be asked to present their lecture during theSociety’s Annual Meeting in London on 20-21 November 2000, and will receive a£500 honorarium for this prestigious award.

Applicants should submit their abstract on a single A4 sheet, accompanied by amini-CV (including up to five publications of relevance to the lecture topic) on a second A4 sheet. Abstracts should be sent to Julie Cragg at the Bristol office by30 June 2000.

Members on the move…C A Delaney to University of Oxford, Oxford; D B Dunger to Addenbrooke’sHospital, Cambridge; T A A Elhad to Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley; D Fryer toQueen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead; C M Gayle to Newham Healthcare NHSTrust, London; T Higgins to Eastbourne District and General Hospital, Eastbourne;I T Huhtaniemi to University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen.

SOCIETY CALENDAR

10-14 July 2000Summer SchoolBristol Marriott Hotel, Bristol

4 September 2000Hormones and SportImperial College, London

4-6 September 2000Nurses Training Course 2000St Anne’s College, Oxford

20-21 November 2000191st Meeting of the Society for EndocrinologyRoyal College of Physicians, London

12 February 2001Clinical Cases MeetingRoyal Society of Medicine, London

DEADLINE APPROACHING

Grants for SummerSchool 2000Grants of up to £150 are availablefor Student and Young Endo-crinologist Members to attend the Summer School in Bristol on 10-14 July 2000.

For details and application formscontact Chris Davis or Julie Cragg inthe Bristol office or see the Society’sWeb site.

Registration deadline for Summer School: 4 July 2000.

Grants forNovemberMeeting 2000Grants of up to £150 are availableto Student and Young Endo-crinologist Members to attend the Society meeting in London on 20-21 November 2000. This isin addition to the normal annualoverseas conference grants. Deadline for receipt of applications:1 October 2000.

Members overseas, for whomthis grant will be insufficient, can apply for a normal annualconference grant (deadline: 15 September 2000).

For details and forms contactChris Davis or Julie Cragg in theBristol office or see the Society’sWeb site.

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Medal Nominees Anumber of annual medals are awarded by the

Society, in recognition of outstandingcontributions to endocrinology.

The European, Asia & Oceania and Transatlantic(North American) Medals are all intended to promote linksbetween the UK and the respective areas of the globe, andtheir recipients should be endocrinologists working inthose regions. The Society Medal is awarded to a Britishendocrinologist. The Dale Medal is the highest accoladebestowed by the Society, and is awarded to an individualwhose studies have changed our understanding ofendocrinology in a fundamental way. Recent recipients ofeach medal are listed below. Nominations are nowrequested for recipients in 2001/2002.

Forms are available from the Bristol office or our Website; please return them by 7 July 2000.2001 Society Medal (previously S O’Rahilly, S Franks, JR Seckl, AJL Clark, J Franklyn, R Thakker, JCBuckingham, JMP Holly)2001 European Medal (previously JA Gustafsson, B Groner, ER de Kloet, G Schutz, H Gronemeyer, P Chambon, SWJ Lamberts, PA Kelly)2001 Asia & Oceania Medal (previously R Smith, J Findlay, PD Gluckman, S Seino, JW Funder, H Imura)2002 Dale Medal (previously B McEwen, J Folkman, S Moncada, R Ekins, H Burger, M New, KJ Catt) 2002 Transatlantic Medal (previously B O’Malley, JM Friedman, DM Stocco, JF Strauss III, JC Marshall, D LeRoith, JS Richard)

Medal Winners 2000/20012000 Society for Endocrinology Medal

- S O’Rahilly2000 European Medal - JA Gustafsson2000 Asia & Oceania Medal - R Smith2001 Dale Medal - B McEwen2001 Transatlantic Medal - B O’Malley

Endocrine Nurses NewsNurses Symposium – BES BirminghamOur second symposium, ‘The challenges, dilemmas and psychological impact ofneuroendocrine tumours’, attracted over 70 delegates. Three medical talks werefollowed by four case presentations by endocrine nurses. Nurses and Committeerepresentatives were able to meet up at the lunch afterwards, which was anexcellent forum for discussion and feedback.Committee UpdateThe next meeting will be on 21 July 2000. Please contact us if you have any issuesfor discussion; current Committee members are: Paediatric representatives – Diane Barstow, Alison Gaunt, Pauline Musson. Adult representatives – Maggie Carson, Mavis Harris (Chair), Margaret Miller,Isabel Raiman, Emma Stobie and Jackie Trestrail.

We are here as your committee to represent you, so please let us have yourviews. We look forward to hearing from you.

MAGGIE CARSON

Postgraduate Education ProgrammeThe Programme in Endocrinology and Diabetes is organised jointly by the RCP, the Society and the BDA. Regional events for 2000 are as follows: 6 September,Nottingham (contact Dr J Webster, Tel: 0114-2266926); 18 October, Liverpool(contact Dr D McCance, Tel: 01232-240503); 6 December, York (contact Dr J Webster, as above).

Prize WinnerCongratulations to James Warne fromthe Imperial College School ofMedicine at Charing Cross Hospital,who has been awarded the Society’sPrize Studentship for 2000. Hisproject, ‘Stress, glucocorticoids andearly life programming of the growthhormone axis’, will be supervised byProfessor Julia Buckingham.

CongratulationsSteven Lamberts has been awardedthe EFES Geoffrey Harris Prize for 2000for established researchers in the fieldof neuroendocrinology.

Irises in Vase on Chair

© PAT McBRIDE

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High Cost TherapiesThe availability of certain high-cost endocrine therapies remains a cause of

concern for the Society. Discrepancies in the patterns of prescription ofsomatostatin and GH mean that adults in some areas have had great difficultyin receiving treatment to enable them to live with their conditions. TheSociety’s Clinical Committee has asked two teams, led by Professors SteveShalet and Paul Stewart, to produce recommendations on the prescription ofthese therapies.

The working titles of the documents are:• Growth hormone replacement in adult patients with severe growth hormone

deficiency• Guidelines on the use of somatostatin analogues in patients with acromegalyThe guidelines should be available in June, when they will be distributed to

selected clinicians and NHS personnel, and posted on the Society’s Web site.Copies will also be available from the Bristol office.

TOM PARKHILL

What do you think of your Society?Our thanks to the 374 members who replied to our questionnaire - that’s

almost 27% of the recipients (it was sent to UK members only), which isgood by anyone’s standards. The overall response was favourable: 93% saidthe Society provided the benefits expected on joining, and 94% wouldrecommend colleagues to join.

For 85%, access to meetings was ranked first or second amongst the benefits ofmembership. Contact with other endocrinologists came next, marked first orsecond by about two-thirds of respondents.

We asked whether you ranked our services better or worse than other societiesyou belong to. Encouragingly, half the respondents ranked us better or muchbetter, and less than 5% ranked us worse or much worse, but that still leaves asubstantial number (45%) sitting squarely on the fence, ranking us 3 on a scale of5, so clearly we do need to try harder.

We were surprised that almost 20% of respondents, when asked what theywould like the Society to do for its members, said ‘more meetings’. This is veryuseful, as we had always assumed there were thought to be too many meetings.

This short article can only highlight a few of the points that emerged. Our nextstep is to analyse the results in more detail, to see what action we need to take.

SUE THORN

Corporate Member NewsThe Society is pleased to announce that Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals have joinedthe corporate membership scheme. Their main area of interest is growth hormone.

Hormone Hell?

The major BBC series onhormones, ‘Body Chemistry’,

was screened during February. Itwas well received by the public, andclearly struck many chords. Teletextand the BBC’s Web site carried theSociety’s contact details.

The programme provoked 126patient enquiries. Many, thinking thatthe Society was a patient supportgroup, wished to join. Thirty wantedgeneral information aboutendocrinology; 11% were interested inStafford Lightman’s research intotreatments for stress and depression,and where they might obtain the‘magic bullets’ he mentioned. Nearlyhalf asked for help with specificproblems - often the menopause/HRT.Several also requested information onanti-ageing hormone treatments, asdiscussed in the series by Americandoctors.

People are hungry for information,and many are desperate for help. Thecalls and letters gave very personaldetails, and indicated a lot of anxiety.Each enquiry was dealt withindividually, and we provided the bestinformation that was available. Wehave since received several thank youletters. We are grateful to all thoseSociety members who helped us, andwho agreed to talk to some of thesepeople.

Hopefully, at least for some of thosein ‘hormone hell’, there is now a littlelight at the end of the tunnel.

VICTORIA WITHY

Lady ZuckermanWe are very sorry to report the death of Lady Zuckerman, widow of LordZuckerman, a founder of the Society and the Journal of Endocrinology.

Ernst KnobilWe are very sorry to announce the death of Professor Knobil, an HonoraryMember of the Society.

OfficerNominationsJulia Buckingham’s term as Treasurerends in November 2001.Nominations are now requested forher replacement, who will be electedat this November’s AGM.

Steve Franks (Chairman), SteveBloom (General Secretary) andMalcolm Parker (ProgrammeSecretary) will serve fo another 2years unless alternatives areproposed, in which case an electionwill be held.

Please contact Julie Cragg or SueThorn in the Bristol office (closingdate: 31 July 2000).

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The Young Endo’Monday 13

13.45 Sir Richard Branson fails todisappoint by delivering me toBirmingham on time!17.30 Excellent opening talk by JulianDavis on the regulation of pituitarygene expression. Spend too much timetalking at welcoming reception, andnot enough time drinking...

Tuesday 14

03.00 Return to hotel after YoungEndo’s Greek evening, pleasantlyreminded of the traditional Greek food (chips). My once nice blue shirtattests to my failure to avoid flyingcream pies.10.00 Grab a spare seat to seepresentations on cAMP in GnRHneurones, inhibitory regulation ofglycoprotein hormone expression andnovel G proteins in testis. Remindersof Greek food now less pleasant.12.00 Suspected hernia after lifting themore than generous lunch box. Postersession provides good ideas forenhancing my Westerns (i.e. use somemore cells).15.00 Good session on genetics ofendocrine disease. Ask cantankerousquestions during the SF-1 talk (furtherafter-effect of Greek food, no doubt).Evening. Double disaster - find theworst curry house in Birmingham,then fail to get into the GrosvenorCasino!

Wednesday 15

08.00 Suit Day. Take great care withtoothpaste.10.00 Excellent session onthyrotrophin receptors in disease.Colleague and I discuss which easyexperiments we can conduct to getNature paper on TSH-R mutations.12.00 Too weak to collect lunch boxtoday. Make do with mineral water atcommittee meeting. Frantically try tomeet all the speakers at the YoungEndo’s Career Forum. Very relieved

This was a forward-looking meeting,which set new standards for endocrineconferences in Europe, and pushedattendance numbers above 1000 forthe first time. We should thank AnnLogan and Paul Stewart for theiruntiring efforts, but perhaps alsoacknowledge the reinventedBirmingham city centre, whichprovided an attractive backdrop.

MARTIN HEWISON

The First TimerSo what is the BES conference allabout? It’s about seeing the great andthe good battling over whose approachto congenital adrenal hyperplasia isbetter, and realising I’ll never know allthe answers. It means hearing basicscience research come alive from themouths of Vassart and Charlton, andfeeling inspired to get on with myPhD. It means putting faces to thenames of professors, and sharingsandwiches with new acquaintances. Imay have learnt a lot about how theexpert tackles hyponatraemia at a talkat 7.15 in the morning, but I probablylearnt a fair bit about endocrinologyover a drink the night before as well.Basically I feel richer for theexperience - unlike the professor whowas generous - or foolish - enough toleave his platinum card behind the barone night. Roll on Belfast.

FRANKIE SWORDS

The NurseAs an endocrine nurse working inBirmingham, I was both impressedwith and proud of this year’s meeting.This is only the second time that theSociety’s Nurse Members have had asession at the BES, and we areobviously rapidly gaining experienceand skills - mostly self-taught. Thesession was very well-received - and Ieven saw a few endocrinologists in thehall. Expectations are high for 2001!My pride comes not only from seeingthe excellent way the conferencecentre was able to cater for thedelegates so smoothly, but also fromknowing that many people will havebeen pleasantly surprised by the city itself. Thank you to all whocontributed to the meeting’s great success.

SUE STEWART

when Steve Franks turns up. Greatsession, audience gasps as peoplereveal how much they earn comparedwith when they were post-docs. SteveFranks appeals for calm.Evening. Banquet. Lots of wine, goodfood, and some magic. Hearinteresting stories about SHO’sexperiences with the London police.

Thursday 16

01.00 Hotel staff look depressed asendocrinologists arrive for late nightrefreshments. Discuss the future ofscientific publishing with Steve Hillier.Become depressed on hearing that hegot a Nature paper out of his PhDthesis. Decide to leave. 11.30 Learn about the reproductiveactivity of Drosophila. Rue the fact thatmy immunocytochemistry is not asgood as that presented.13.30 Chair a rushed YoungEndocrinologists Committee meeting,aware of impending departure ofRichard Branson’s 15.15 to London.18.00 Home. Shell-shocked withscience. Cream will not budge fromblue shirt. Pack suit away until next conference.

ROB FOWKES

The ‘Mature’ ViewJulian Davis’s Clinical EndocrinologyTrust Lecture set a high standard thatwas met by all the subsequent medallectures. These plenary sessionsprovided a familiar framework, butthe rest of the programme was farfrom traditional. ‘What would theexpert do?’, ‘Publishing in the newmillennium’ and ‘Career forum’sessions were excellent additions. Onan academic level, cutting-edgetechnology was given a high profile,with many presentations on genetherapy and gene manipulation. Thisculminated in a provocative specialsession on human cloning, whichguaranteed a good audience, evenafter the previous night’sentertainments.

BES 2000How was it for you?Members of the Society give us their views of the Birmingham BES meeting...

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Hormones hitthe HeadlinesBES 2000 saw endocrinology in the newsyet again. This wasn’t purely coincidence,but the continuing success of a strategy toincrease awareness of endocrinology...

After much discussion with theauthors, Ann Logan, Paul

Stewart and the Public RelationsCommittee, six abstracts wereselected as the subjects of pressreleases. Meanwhile, we wrote toover 100 journalists about themeeting, and then contacted keymedical and science editors bytelephone. The press releases weredistributed a week before themeeting, and posted on theAlphaGalileo Web site (a sciencenews service for the media). Thisresulted in 15 press enquiriesseeking interviews and authorcontact details.

Dr Judah Folkman was verysought-after, but could only spend 24hours in the UK. The PM programmeon BBC Radio 4 broadcast aninterview with him on Tuesdayevening, which was a great success.

New Scientist (18 March) includedthree articles covering the work ofNicholas Lemoine’s team on a ‘suicidegene combination to target breastcancer’, and Martin Sillence andJoanne Price’s work on ‘a new test fordoping in racehorses’. TheBirmingham press and several nationalpapers and Internet news sites also ranstories on this work and the humancloning discussion. Although manyitems were published at the time ofthe meeting, others, like an ITNinterview about racehorse testing, willnot broadcast later this year.

The highly successful coverageraised the profile of the meeting andbrought endocrinology to the attentionof the public and other medical andscientific professionals. The greater theawareness of our members’ work, themore people will value it and realiseits relevance.

VICTORIA WITHY

If you think of anything which may benewsworthy, whether associated with ameeting or not, please contact TomParkhill or Victoria Withy at the Bristoloffice to discuss it.

Prizes at BES 2001Michael White Memorial PrizeWith the kind support of theMichael White Memorial Fund, a£500 prize will be awarded at BES2001 for the best communicationfrom a young endocrinologist in thefield of endocrine neoplasia.

Novartis AwardsNovartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltdwill be pleased to offer two prizes of£1000 for the best submissions byyoung endocrinologists.

BES Awards supported byPharmacia & UpjohnThe BES and Pharmacia & Upjohnare delighted to announce theseventh in a series of awards forclinical and basic science laboratoryresearch proposals in the field ofendocrine growth factors. Thesuccessful proposal will receive themajor award of £10 000, and fiveadditional travel grants of £500 willalso be awarded. All applicationsmust be for work carried out in theUK or Ireland. Application forms forthis award will be supplied toSociety members in their Augustmailing, and the deadline forsubmissions is 8 January 2001.

Support for Carcinoid SyndromeCarcinoid syndrome is produced by metastatic carcinoid tumours that

secrete serotonin and other hormones, leading to gut, heart, lung andliver problems.

Symptoms include flushing, facial rash, diarrhoea, low or high blood pressure,alcohol intolerance, a heightened allergic response and asthma. These appearwithout warning, and are worsened by emotional upset. The need for improvedawareness is indicated by frequent misdiagnosis. Early diagnosis helps patients,and may reduce the cost of treatment in the long term. Delays in therapy oftenlead to a worsening of symptoms, which are frequently inadvertently treated asseparate conditions.

Formation of a Patient Carcinoid Syndrome Awareness and Support Group hastherefore been proposed, to assist clinicians and patients in identifying treatments,and provide a forum for discussion. It would aim to increase awareness of thesyndrome, but would not provide medical advice for specific patients.

If you know of patients who may be interested in joining or helping with this group,please ask them to contact me, c/o Tom Parkhill at the Society for Endocrinology.

ANN ELLIS GRAD DIP PHYS, MCSP, SRP

The Michael White MemorialPrize of £500 was awarded to

J Tomlinson from the University ofBirmingham for the bestcommunication from a youngendocrinologist in the field ofendocrine neoplasia.

The Novartis Awards of £1000 forthe best abstracts submitted by youngendocrinologists were won by M Maamra, M Bidlingmaier, SK Justice, SA Simon, M-C Postel-Vinay, CJ Strasburger and RJM Ross(Sheffield, Munich and Paris), and D Lloyd, S Shackleton, S Jackson, S O’Rahilly and RC Trembath(Leicester and Cambridge).

The BES Award supported byPharmacia & Upjohn of £10 000 forresearch in the field of endocrinegrowth factors was won by N Hanley,DI Wilson and SG Ball from theUniversity of Newcastle for a researchproposal into the in vitro culture ofhuman primordial germ cells. Travelgrants of £500 each were awarded to M Westwood and P Clayton(University of Manchester), J Tomlinson, I Bujalska, E Walker, MC Sheppard and PM Stewart(University of Birmingham), C Stewartand A Crown (University Departmentof Surgery, Bristol), M Korbonits (StBartholomew’s Hospital) and M Wallis(University of Sussex).

BES Prizewinners

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Coffee Break Contents www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Coffeebreak/

This is an excellent source of well-written articles. Current discussionconcerns the way viruses providedirection within plants using viralmovement proteins, while archivereports include Parkinson’s disease,plant genes found in a human parasite,and a novel tumour suppressor gene.Coming soon - the use of flies toinvestigate tuberous sclerosis inhumans! Articles seem to be issuedfortnightly, and all are written by NCBIstaff. Top-notch!SERVICES: O (original, informativearticles); STRONG POINTS: Clear writing,very interesting topics; WEAK POINTS:None; RATING: Excellent

Osteoporosis and RelatedBone Diseaseswww.osteo.org

Packed with information, this siteincludes topics ranging from asthmaand bone health to measuring boneresponse to space flight, and givesgood coverage of rare diseases, likePaget’s disease and osteogenesisimperfecta. Other highlights includeosteoporosis and men, osteoporosisand alcohol, numerous links, andsections for bone professionals.Although I learned quite a bit, I feltthe site would benefit from a moreorganised or thorough approach.SERVICES: L, N, O (informationarticles); STRONG POINTS: Articles;WEAK POINTS: Could be morethorough; RATING: Very good

Protocol Online - YourLab’s Reference Bookwww.protocol-online.net/

The focus here is on well-presentedmolecular biology protocols - for DNA,RNA, carbohydrates, proteins,antibodies and much else in between.Superb organisation aids navigation,and the material appears to be state ofthe art. Possibly the protocol site of mydreams!SERVICES: L, O (protocols); STRONG

POINTS: Well organised, relevance ofprotocols; WEAK POINTS: None;RATING: Excellent.

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Services provided at Web sites:T Tools - Analytical computing toolsD Data - Searchable or downloadable

database informationG Goods - FTP delivery of useful items

(e.g. full package, bug fix or demosoftware)

L Links - Useful links to other sitesN News - News of interestS Support - Feedback in response to

users’ enquiriesO Others - e.g. Innovative use of Web

tools, appearance, editorial point ofview

Ratings: Excellent, Very Good, Good Nothing below good will be reported here.

WebspinningHighlighting the best on the Web

Thanks to Kevin Ahern and Genetic Engineering News.Don’t forget to visit the Society for Endocrinology on the Web:www.endocrinology.org; tell us about your favourite Web site: a.logan@bham.ac.uk.

As reported in the last issue, the Institute of Biology, the UK Life SciencesCommittee and the UK National Committee for Microbiology have

drawn up a proposal for a single body to represent the whole of UKbioscience. Details have now been made available to a number of biosciencegroups, including the Society for Endocrinology.

The proposal suggested either a ‘bioscience federation’ or a less formal liaisongroup. It outlined areas where a single voice would be effective, such as lobbyinggovernment and higher education bodies. A possible role in publishing, provisionof secretariat offices and other ‘business’ activities was also identified.

The Society’s Council and newScience Committee both debated theissues. Our response, written jointly bySteve Franks and Ian Henderson (asChairmen of the Society and theScience Committee respectively), isavailable in full on our Web site.

Our reply supported closercollaboration for external lobbying,particularly of government and highereducation funding bodies, especially inconnection with funding science,scientific stipends and salaries, andalso for the promotion of science as acareer and improving publicunderstanding. However, we did notsupport the body’s involvement inbusiness-type activities, as we feel it islikely to be less effective than other,specialist, groups, like the Associationof Learned and Professional SocietyPublishers, of which the Society is anactive member.

We would not support a newbureaucracy, but favour a ‘virtual’organisation, with one senior person toconcentrate on high-levelrepresentation, rather than severaladministrative staff. We feel therewould be more chance of success if thebody were not based in the offices ofany member organisation, and wouldavoid any fears of bias. We alsoqueried how well the body couldrepresent its members if it was toowidely constituted - the currentUKLSC’s strength is largely due to itsclear focus and good consensus onmany issues.

In summary, we strongly supportthe concept of closer collaborationwith regard to representation, and ourrepresentatives will remain closelyinvolved in future discussions.

S FRANKS, I HENDERSON, S THORN

Bioscience Federation Update

RCP Specialist

Advisory CommitteeThe SAC for Endocrinology andDiabetes seeks a Specialist Registrar (torepresent the views of trainees, withregard to Joint Committee on HigherMedical Training matters. Interestedmembers should contact Julie Cragg inthe Bristol office by 8 September2000.

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BioScientifica is the trading subsidiary of the Society for Endocrinology. Allprofits made by BioScientifica are returned to the Society.

Our staff have unrivalled experience in organising conferences and symposia, aswell as all types of learned publishing, including the use of electronic media, inmetabolism, endocrinology, fertility and many other fields. Our daily contact withboth the pharmaceutical industry and prominent clinicians and scientists in the UKand abroad gives us a unique edge in working with these highly demandingcommunities.

We work with some of the world’s most prestigious societies andpharmaceutical companies.

Conference organising We run annual and one-off conferences ranging in size from 50 to 1500 delegates.We function as a complete professional conference organiser, arranging everyaspect of the conference, from choice of venue and booking speakers, throughsocial events, to follow-up after the event. We have experience of most of the UK’spremier conference venues (such as Birmingham ICC, Glasgow SECC,Bournemouth ICC, etc). Examples of recent and ongoing conferences are:

• The British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes (BSPED) annualconference (Birmingham, 2000), which usually attracts in the region of 200delegates.

• The 5th International Congress of Neuroendocrinology (Bristol, 2002), whichis expected to attract over 1000 international delegates.

Product launches and symposia We will organise symposia and product launches for pharmaceutical and healthcarecompanies, and medical organisations. We will work with your staff to select venuesand organise events appropriate to your requirements. Our publishing arm caneffectively extend the lifetime of any symposium by publishing conference proceedings.

Membership servicesBioScientifica runs membership services for scientific and learned societies,including the British Thyroid Association and the Bone and Tooth Society.

Publishing BioScientifica has developed an enviable reputation for rapid and accuratepublication of conference and symposium proceedings. We can publish yourmeeting in the format of your choice, ranging from formal proceedings in ahardback book to a single-article newsletter-style summary. We offer a completeservice, including liaison with your speakers (where appropriate), right through todelivery and distribution of the finished product.

We are pleased to highlight the activities of our corporate members in this special section. Companies wishing

to join the Society should contact Julie Cragg in the Bristol office (julie.cragg@endocrinology.org).

16 The Courtyard, WoodlandsBradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4NQTel: +44 (0)1454 619347Fax: +44 (0)1454 616071Web: www.bioscientifica.com

BioScientifica Ltd

A major part of our expertise is inpublishing world-class researchjournals both online and in print. Anexample is the European Journal ofEndocrinology. We also publishnewsletters and academic books.Contact us for examples.

Electronic publishing/Internet BioScientifica can produce symposiumproceedings on CD-ROM or on theinternet. These can be fully searchablewith links to journals, new research,manufacturers’ home pages, patientsupport groups, etc.

For more information on any of these services contact:

Tom Parkhill (Business DevelopmentOfficer) Tel: +44 (0)1454 201612,Email: tom.parkhill@endocrinology.org

Helen Gregson (Conference Manager)Tel: +44 (0)1454 619347, Email:helen.gregson@endocrinology.org

Steve Byford (Publications Manager)Tel: +44 (0)1454 616046, Email:steve.byford@endocrinology.org

Endocrine Pharmaceuticals Ltd is a hormone discovery venturespecialising in the controls on internal organ masses. We are at the stage

of actively seeking partnerships within the pharmaceutical and biotechnologyindustries in the context of benign prostatic hypertrophy, endometriosis,polycystic ovary syndrome and other tissue overgrowth conditions.

The company is based at Harwell, south of Oxford, where it is being fosteredwithin the corporate venturing programme of AEA Technology plc. The leadinvestor in the company is 3i.

Our laboratory research is conducted at Harwell and also on contract inCambridge and Sheffield in the UK and in Melbourne, Australia.

Dr John Hart551 Harwell, DidcotOxfordshire OX11 0RATel: +44 (0) 1235 434830Fax: +44 (0) 1235 432997Email: john.hart@aeat.co.uk

Endocrine Pharmaceuticals Ltd

EndocrinePharmaceuticals Limited

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Ipsen Ltd is the UK trading subsidiary of a European pharmaceutical group,founded in 1929 by Dr Henri Beaufour. The Beaufour Ipsen Group has a

history of successful discovery, with a continued commitment to researchand development in a variety of therapeutic areas. These includeendocrinology, oncology, neurobiology, gastroenterology and haematology.The product portfolio comprises nearly thirty products and includes severalthat are leaders in their therapeutic class.

A major factor which has contributed to the company’s growth and success inrecent years has been the ability to combine the therapeutic potential of peptideswith sophisticated controlled-release delivery systems. Beaufour Ipsen is the onlycompany in the world to supply two different slow-release peptide formulations,including Somatuline® LA, the first long-acting formulation of a somatostatinanalogue.

Ipsen is committed to research into the role of somatostatin analogues andidentifying/developing receptor subtype specific compounds for possibleapplication in a variety of conditions, including acromegaly and type II diabetes. A number of new analogues with enhanced potency and greater selectivity arecurrently being investigated, as are novel drug delivery systems. The group is alsoengaged in the search for non-peptide agents that will act as antagonists atneuropeptide receptor sites, and for therapies that will overcome tumourresistance to hormone suppression.

Ipsen is pleased to support the work of both the Society for Endocrinology andthe Pituitary Foundation. In addition, the company offers a range of educationalservices to both healthcare professionals and patients alike under its Pivotal Careprogramme. This includes various educational materials as well as the NurseAdvisor Service, which aims to support healthcare professionals in the care ofacromegaly patients in the community. For further information on our products orservices please contact the Somatuline team by calling 0800 3892284 or e-mailingus at pivotal.care@ipsen.co.uk.

1 Bath Road, MaidenheadBerkshire SL6 4UHTel: +44 (0)1628 771417Fax: +44 (0)1628 770211

Ipsen Ltd

Genzyme is a major biotechnology company focusing on the research anddevelopment of products to address unmet medical needs. We are

probably best known in the UK for the development of Cerezyme®

(imiglucerase), which is used in the management of the rare lysosomalstorage disorder, Gaucher’s disease.

Thyrogen® (rhTSH)Thyrogen® (the recombinant form of thyroid stimulating hormone) is indicated foruse in the diagnostic follow-up of patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer.The introduction of Thyrogen® into the management of patients with thyroidcancer offers an alternative to the debilitating consequences of withdrawal ofthyroid hormones for either scanning or thyroglobulin (Tg) testing.

Use of rhTSH is safe, and increases the sensitivity of serum Tg testing duringthyroid hormone suppression therapy (THST). It allows sensitive I-131 whole-body scanning without the repeated, weeks-long withdrawal of THST, thuspreventing the debilitating symptoms of hypothyroidism and the resulting impacton quality of life for thyroid cancer patients.

Thyrogen® received EMEA approval for use on 9 March 2000.

Genzyme Therapeutics

Kellie Higgins17 Hollands Road, HaverhillSuffolk CB9 8PUTel: +44 (0)1440 716443Fax: +44 (0)1440 710985Email: kellie.higgins@genzyme.comWeb: www.genzyme.com

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Novartis is a global leader in the discovery, development, manufactureand marketing of innovative medicine.

The company brings together two centuries of expertise and knowledge in lifesciences, including healthcare, through the two heritages of Ciba and Sandoz.With its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis employs around 82 000people, and operates in over 100 countries around the world.

In the UK, Novartis is one of the largest suppliers of medicines to the NHS and is committed to improving health and well being through innovativehealthcare solutions.

We have a broad range of products, supported by one of the most promisingsets of potential new products currently in development in the pharmaceuticalindustry. In the UK alone, Novartis is spending around £1 million a week onresearch into new and better treatments. £100 million is currently being investedin a world-class centre for respiratory research and in manufacturing facilities inWest Sussex, as well as in research centres in London and Cambridge.

The main therapeutic areas in which the company has interests areendocrinology, oncology, cardiovascular disease, the central nervous system,transplantation, dermatology, HRT and rheumatology. Within endocrinologyNovartis offers a range of products including Sandostatin®, Sandostatin® LAR®,Parlodel® and Norprolac®, and is committed to further research in this area.

The Novartis Endocrinology team is proud of its links with the Society forEndocrinology and is pleased to offer support where it can. The endocrinologyteam can be contacted at the Frimley offices on 01276 698561.

“Researching tomorrow’s future today...”Frimley Business Park, FrimleyCamberley, Surrey GU16 5SGTel: +44 (0)1276 692255Fax: +44 (0)1276 692508

Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd

Pharmacia is one of the UK’s leading companies in endocrinology. Ourextensive product range includes treatments for growth hormone

deficiency, erectile dysfunction and hyperprolactinaemia.To help overcome the special problems associated with these disease areas, we

have pioneered the introduction of many devices and services to support theclinician and patient.

These include:

• A range of injection devices and presentations designed to aid compliance.

• A network of specialist endocrine nurses offering patient training at home.

• Extensive support for clinical and patient services.

• A full range of therapy-related accessories and disposables.Support also extends to hospital physicians in the form of diagnostic back up

and surveillance programmes.Pharmacia is proud to be a corporate member of the Society for Endocrinology

and to continue its support of research into endocrine disorders.

Davy Avenue, Knowlhill Milton Keynes MK5 8PHTel: +44 (0)1908 661101Fax: +44 (0)1908 603023Email: clare.cutler@eu.pnu.com

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Serono Pharmaceuticals Ltd is the UK affiliate of the Ares Serono Group,pioneers in the field of biotechnology. In 1996, the Ares Serono Group

celebrated 90 years of success and progress in the pharmaceutical industry.Created in 1906, Ares Serono today is a multinational company committed tothe development of innovative, therapeutic products.

Serono is a leading company in fertility treatment. Products from Serono havemeant that thousands of couples who would have remained childless have beenable to have a family. Our product range allows treatment of a variety of femaleand male fertility disorders, and 1995 saw the licensing of the first recombinantgonadotrophin.

Serono UK has been active in the field of growth and growth hormonetreatment for over 10 years. During this time we have been committed to researchand development and to patient care. The latter has been achieved through theprovision of the Home Care Programme which provides individual nurse supportfor patients.

Also, the end of 1998 saw us introduce our new growth hormone deliverydevice, the EASYJECT®, which in combination with our new 24IU presentation ofSaizen®, provides the benefits associated with simplifying and automating theinjection process as well as hiding the needle.

In addition, exciting research projects are harnessing Serono’s expertise inbiotechnology to extend the range of products available for adult, paediatric andreproductive endocrinologists as well as those in the areas of immunology,neurology and oncology.

Bedfont Cross, Stanwell RoadFeltham, Middlesex TW14 8NXTel +44 (0)20 8818 7200 Fax: +44 (0)20 8818 7222Email: serono_uk@serono.com

Serono Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Grants: ICE 2000 SydneyThe Society for Endocrinology and the Clinical Endocrinology Trust have jointly allocated

additional funds to enable Society members to attend the International Congress of Endocrinology in Sydney on 29 October-3 November 2000.

Application forms are available from Chris Davis or Julie Cragg in the Bristol office or from the Society’s Web site. The deadline for their return is 28 July 2000.

The Royal Society is also offering grants to attend ICE 2000 (see www.royalsoc.ac.uk for details).

191st MEETING OF THE SOCIETY FOR ENDOCRINOLOGY

Royal College of Physicians, London

20-21 November 2000

Plenary lectures, symposia including an Endocrine-Related Cancer symposium,

Nurses session, Young Endocrinologists session, debate,

oral communications and postersConference grants are available to UK young endocrinologists and overseas members

Further information is available from the Bristol office

Abstract deadline: 4 August 2000

an updated version of the ancientlonging for immortality, which lookspretty silly when you stand back fromit all. You see portraits of ancientworthies, who clearly thought theyreally were somebody, but now, with afew interesting exceptions, we thinkmost of them were even more ordinarythan the rest of us.

RE: I must admit there are someinteresting parallels between scienceand art - I remember reading aboutthe Florentine painters of the 1400s,studying in each other’s workshops,jealously watching their rivals’ latestcommissions, sparking off each other’simagination, leaving behind a trail ofastonishing masterpieces. It makes youthink of some of the famous scientificraces and rivalries - and some of themost exciting discoveries of 20thcentury science have probably beenachieved in the same way! I wonderhow you relate this to endocrinology,Humphrey? You probably do havesome heroes of your own, don’t you,despite everything you’ve said.

HL: Ah yes, I probably do have afew, but they’re not all famous, justlike my literary heroes - in spite ofyour rude comments just now. PerhapsI’ll share some thoughts with youanother time. For now, I’ll let you keep guessing!

HL: You’re looking a bit downtonight Rhys, what’s wrong? Youshould be bubbling with new ideas totake back to the lab - or is the sense ofcompetition getting to you?

RE: No, none of that actually. It’sjust that sometimes I feel the wholeenterprise of science railroads you intobeing a slavish functionary, withoutany real chance to be creative.

HL: Oh, but scientists are creativein many ways. There’s the intellectualcreativity of designing experiments,and writing the papers - you publishmore than many aspiring poets.

RE: Yes, but that’s a poor chance to be creative - it’s journal style,Introduction-Methods-Results-Discussion. Even when you do yourbest, the desk editors will ‘improve’and de-individualise your language.Just look at this great novel; there’s noway to match that type of imaginationwithin science.

HL: That’s not very fair to deskeditors, they do a great job ofclarifying turgid circumlocutoryjargon. You should see the ineptattempts some authors make atconveying a simple scientific idea! Itwould certainly help if scientists readmore great novels...

RE: OK, point taken, but even thebest science is so ephemeral. The mostimportant advances in the past 30years are hardly attributable to oneperson, but to herds of people, allcompeting and driven on by the sameperceptions and constraints.

HL: But that’s the very nature of acomplex enterprise - it’s the same withtechnological advances, yet that’s beenfantastically worthwhile for the wholedevelopment of human society. Justthink of the wheel, paper, optics,steam power, electronics. None wasreally due to the creativity of anindividual, but to a society of people,with shared ideas, constantlyleapfrogging each other.

RE: But contrast that with myexample of a great novelist. How aboutDostoyevsky, Camus, Joyce, Kafka?They were outstanding creativeindividuals.

HL: I’m not so sure - they werecertainly outstanding and creative, buthow individual were they? Evenartistic figures usually emerge fromwhole schools of others, often equallygood, but not so much remembered.We do tend to hanker for heroes, butthey’re usually part of a movement,and who happens to be a hero changesin a fickle way from century tocentury. Vivaldi and Bach weren’texactly popular until late last century,nobody had heard of Botticelli untilthe 1880s, and the most famouswriters and artists of today may wellbe dismissed as mere bystanders in 50 years.

RE: So, are our hapless scientistsdoomed to be faceless functionaries?Should we write papers by computerprogram and accept that we are ant-like workers, all for the good of thenest? Am I right after all?

HL: No, there’s much more to itthan that. Scientists have a major jobto do, and it’s essential that they writewell in research papers, reviews and,more generally, for the public. Youremember our conversation about thata few months ago? We need ourscientists to read widely and well, notjust popular stuff, but great literaturetoo. If that can stimulate them they’llwrite vigorous and adventurousaccounts of their work, and will havebeen creative in a very significant way.It may not guarantee personalimmortality, but it will enrich ourworld.

RE: I notice that you identify ‘greatliterature’ - written by a select handfulof cultural heroes, I presume?! But Iwon’t tease you. Do you reckon thatmy yearning for culturalsignificance is simply acase of wanting tobe remembered forsomething?

HL: Yes, I thinkit probably is. Wewould all like peopleto remember us - anepitaph saying ‘He didthat’. But I think it’s anillusion, don’t you? It’s only

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Science - a Work of Art?It’s late at night, in another bar, at the end of another endocrine conference, but Dr RhysEppter is not his usual combative self, and Professor Sir Humphrey Lyggande isconcerned. Is this conference blues, or something more serious?

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So, does your scientific career frustrateyour individualistic ambitions? Do youhave endocrine heroes? Do you harboura creative impulse waiting to emerge,and, if so, will it be to make anendocrinological advance? Abstractsubmissions as well as e-mails eagerlyawaited!

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Endocrinology in the New MillenniumJohn Challis’s Special Keynote Lecture on this subject was a highlight of BES 2000. We are extremely pleased to be able to include a summary here.

The general public has neverbeen more interested in health-

care and biomedical research than itis today. There is every reason toanticipate increased publicawareness of issues surrounding theeffectiveness, availability and costsof healthcare. Because health andhealthcare occupy such a centralposition in the public policyagendas of European and NorthAmerican countries, it is crucialthat, as healthcare investigators andproviders, and as an informed laypublic, we contribute to the debate.

As biomedical researchers, weshould help inform discussionconcerning utilization of resources anddetermination of priorities, and assistin defining the moral and ethical limitsof advances in healthcare. Ann Padillaand Ian Gibson (Nature, 27 January2000) remind us that ‘scientificknowledge is playing an increasingpart in political-decision making.Scientists themselves will have torecognize that blind public acceptanceof their work cannot be taken forgranted. As a consequence, they andtheir representative bodies will have toexamine their roles per se and inunfamiliar territory, both political andpublic’.

Healthcare policy in the newmillennium will be dictated by anability to prevent disease processes,insteading of simply treating them.New genetic techniques, arising inassociation with the completion of theHuman Genome Project, will offerextraordinary new opportunities forpartnerships between pharmaceuticalcompanies and academia, in thepursuit of discovery-driven, ratherthan hypothesis-driven, science.Recognition of epigenetic effects and

threaten the integrity of the academicenterprise, and universities will needto rapidly develop policies to ensurethat their foundational integrity is notcompromised.

In this new paradigm, one mightquestion whether endocrinology willretain a presence as a discrete entity.Already endocrinology itself is largelypassé, having given way to paracrine,autocrine and intracrine approachesand explanations. Endocrinologistsmasquerade as developmentalbiologists, neuroscientists,cardiovascular physiologists,nutritionists and reproductivebiologists. Their studies are crucial toan understanding of the ageingprocess. We have become the cross-cutting glue that joins together otherphysiologic disciplines. The role oforganizations such as the Society forEndocrinology in bringing togetherworkers with a common interest inhormones is crucial to prevent totalfragmentation of this discipline intothe myriad branches of medicine.

In the new millennium, genes willemerge (if they have not already doneso) as big business. The old concept ofone gene/one protein is clearly wrong,and the importance of post-translational modification of proteinstructure has given birth to theexplosion in proteomics. Thus, whilegenomics leads to characterization andsequence of the genome, and to anunderstanding of the relationshipbetween gene activity and cell function(functional genomics), proteomics isthe mass screen approach to molecularbiology. Proteomic technologies aim todocument the overall distribution ofproteins in cells, characterizeindividual proteins and elucidate theirrelationships, interactions andfunctional roles. New technologiessuch as microchip arrays, laser capturemicrodissection, and the application ofbioinformatics to two-dimensional gelelectrophoresis and interrogation ofprotein databases will dramaticallyalter the approach that many of us

the role of lifestyle in healthperformance seem likely to emerge astrends that will influence the spectrumfrom basic science research to publichealth policy.

Healthcare and endocrinology inthe new millennium will surely beinfluenced heavily by demographicshifts. The baby boomers will reachpost-retirement age. Their children,the boom echo, having delayedmarriage and beginning a family, willemerge with their parents as keypublic sector groups. Both groupshave, in general, been relativelyaffluent. They will be demanding,vocal and politically active advocates.

It seems inevitable that scienceitself will undergo a major transition inthe way that it is conducted. InCanada, the establishment of theCanadian Institutes of Health Researchwill see advances being made througha series of virtual institutes. Withinthese, biomedical and clinicalinvestigators will learn to interact andcollaborate with health service/healthsystem investigators, as well as withthose interested in population health,and the influences of society, cultureand the environment. The use of rapidthroughput technologies will seediscovery-driven research as a majorapproach alongside hypothesis-drivenactivity. Those of us in academia willneed to come down from our ivorytowers to seek partnerships withcolleagues in industry, the privatesector and pharmaceutical companies.Although public funding for researchin Europe, as in North America,appears ready to increase at areasonable rate, the high costs ofequipment and infrastructure seemlikely to require private sectorinteraction. The lone investigator withthe single PCR machine will bestretched to compete independentlyfrom genetics-based drug discoverystrategies in an industrial setting, witha room full of PCRs running 24 hoursa day, 7 days a week. There is noquestion that this relationship will

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adopt in conducting our science.Proteomic techniques should lead tonew information concerning basic cellfunction and molecular organization,studies of pathophysiology, genetic andpharmacologic perturbations, and thestudy of drug modes of action andmechanisms of toxicity. Thesetechniques should lead to the discoveryof molecular markers for diagnosis andmonitoring of diseases, and theidentification of novel biologicallyactive molecules and drug targets.

This research, however, will bedriven in part by a requirement toappease shareholders instead ofnecessarily generating fundamentaland new information. Already,pharmaceutical companies arereluctant to develop drugs for diseasesthat do not have a market, or wherethe potential of litigation seems likelyto threaten or undermine their profitmargin. Only the very brave amongstpharmaceutical companies - andclearly there are exceptions - venturefreely into the area of drugdevelopment for pregnant women,even though prematurebirth occurs in 10% ofpregnancies, accounts for75% of early neonatalmortality and morbidity,and costs the Americanhealthcare systemupwards of $5B annually.The memory ofthalidomide is sadly justtoo recent when one canmore safely seek drug targets in ageing,cancer, AIDS and obesity.

Genomic techniques have led to therapid development of enormousdatabases. Fortunately, our nationalpolitical leaders have recognized thatpatent approval for fundamentalsequences of the human genome is animpediment to scientific advance, andunethical unless there is clearapplication and utility of thatinformation. Nevertheless, it seemsaxiomatic that in the future ‘ourchildren will grow up in a world wherefinding a new gene or protein will beas infrequent as finding, today, a newspecies of animal’ (David Landsman).In a post-genome world, we mayenvisage complete genotyping of allindividuals, a genome-basedpharmacology, animal models for everygene, near real-time measurements ofgene transcription, and the

microdissection of individual cellularprocesses.

By 2020, one might anticipate thatmost medical matters will be handledby video or e-mail. Cancer will betreated by anti-angiogenic drugs.Cardiologists will conduct keyholesurgery using robotics over longdistances, and will use geneticallyengineered muscle cells to repairdamaged hearts. Hand-held biosensorswill monitor blood glucose and pH,and drive artificial pumps in thepancreas to generate insulin, if diabetesitself has not already been eliminated.Each citizen will carry a ‘smart card’,the size of a credit card with his or herfull genetic code. It will be possible totest the effectiveness of thousands ofdrugs for that individual in an instant.However, the privacy of thatinformation will require carefulpreservation. One can imagineprospective employers, potentialspouses and exuberant insurancecompanies demanding a completemedical prediction for each individualentering a new job or relationship.

Jeremy Rifkin, Head of theFoundation for EconomicTrends in Washington, DC,has argued that in the newmillennium ‘animal andhuman cloning will likely becommonplace with replicationincreasingly replacingreproduction’. Developmentof stem cell technology withcloning techniques should

allow the generation of specific tissuesand/or organs for transplantationpurposes. Isolation of genes withinindividual blastomeres has alreadyallowed prediction of single genedisorders, with genetic diagnosis andgene therapy approaches to treatmentor replacement of a defective gene, forexample in cystic fibrosis. One predictsthat mice will continue to be used incloning strategies designed tounderstand basic biologic mechanisms;large animal species will be utilized forpractical benefits, and generation ofspecific proteins. Human cloning willcontinue to generate moral andphilosophical debate, and as scientistswe must engage that debate andinform the public and politicaldiscussion.

Finally, one senses increasingrecognition of the role of theenvironment as a determinant of

health and modifier of geneexpression. The studies of DavidBarker and his colleagues at theUniversity of Southampton haveshown clearly that the environmentduring pregnancy may permanentlyalter expression of genes indevelopment in a way that determinesadult-onset diseases includinghypertension and Type 2 diabetes.There is an urgent necessity tounderstand the underlyingmechanisms behind this relationship,in order that appropriate scientificinformation can inform public healthpolicy. In addition, the neutraceuticalindustry occupies a substantial market- in the USA perhaps $86-250Bannually. The pro-biotic market seemslikely to have major implications inendocrinology and requires thoroughinvestigation. We need to understandwhy a population ingests oral extractsof Ginkgo biloba to improve alertnessand concentration or uses mega-dosesof antioxidants to fight disease andrestore memory loss. We understandthat physical and mental exercisepromotes health through enhancedcardiovascular function, prevention ofosteoporosis and promotion ofneurogenesis, particularly in keyhippocampal regions. Appropriateutilization of this information towardsa healthy society would be a wonderfuladvance. In Canada, for example, itwas estimated that in 1981 only 20%of the population could be regarded asphysically active enough to beconsidered healthy; this mean numberhad increased to about 35% by 1995.But, clearly we have a long way to go.Fred Astaire said it best, ‘old age is likeeverything else, to make a success of ityou have to start young’. As we enterthe new millennium we have acacophony of technologies that shouldallow us to prevent disease andpromote good health. We have awonderful opportunity to ensure thatat birth every individual has maximalpotential for life-long health. Thechallenge will be to use thatinformation wisely and in accord withmoral and ethical principles that havebeen debated and deemed acceptableby society at large. Welcome to thenew millennium!

JOHN R G CHALLISCHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

“Research will

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to appease

shareholders”

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BioScientifica was founded 4years ago to capitalise on the

skills of the Society staff - skillssuch as planning and executingscientific and medical conferences,publishing, providing membershipservices, media handling, Internetservices, and so on.

Many commercial companies andscientific organisations need theseabilities, and we realised that we couldsell these skills, and plough any profitsback into the Society.

So, several staff at the Bristoloffice spend part of their time on arange of BioScientifica projects. Weare currently producing a journal andbooks, and managing the productionof journal supplements forpharmaceutical companies. Ourconference department is planningmajor scientific conferences (e.g. the International Congress ofNeuroendocrinology, in 2002) andseveral meetings for pharmaceuticalcompanies. We handle membershipservices for the Bone and Tooth

Society and the British ThyroidAssociation. BioScientifica is alsobranching out from endocrinologyinto other areas of bioscience; forexample, the External RelationsGroup is handling the mediarelations of the Association for theStudy of Obesity. Time spent on theseprojects is allocated so that it doesn’teat into time spent working for theSociety.

All profits made by BioScientificareturn to the Society. Last year thisamounted to £123 000. This gave realpractical benefits to members byhelping us to:

• increase the number ofstudentships offered

• increase the size and number ofconference grants awarded

• offer more competitive professionaltraining

• expand the work of severalcommitteesWithout the income from

BioScientifica, we would have toreduce Society activities or raise prices.

We are always looking for newbusiness for BioScientifica, so if youcan help us, we would be verygrateful. Early notice of activities is thekey. Examples where you mightconsider using BioScientifica are:

• organising conferences, satellitemeetings, product launches andresearcher meetings

• publishing journals or anysponsored book, such asproceedings of a symposium

The commercial supplement to thisissue includes a full description ofBioScientifica’s work, but we are opento any proposals. We work on thesame commercial basis as any othercompany, so telling us about an ideadoesn’t commit you. The advantages ofusing us are that we probably have anexisting relationship with you, andthat any profits will go directly backinto endocrinology.

TOM PARKHILL(TEL: 01454-201612; EMAIL:

TOM.PARKHILL@ENDOCRINOLOGY.ORG)

BioScientifica - at your service

The evidence for a genetic causeof Paget’s disease is so strong

that there is no need to consider aviral aetiology. That was StuartRalston’s point of view as hepresented his work on theidentification on chromosome 18q ofthe gene for some forms of familialPaget’s disease and the relatedcondition, familial expensileosteolysis.

This gene encodes RANK, asignalling molecule thought to becentral to communication betweenosteoblasts and osteoclasts. Althoughthis activating mutation is present inonly a few families, Professor Ralstonbelieves that Paget’s disease will beexplained by mutations in the genesencoding proteins in this pathway.Andy Mee countered this by statingthat the evidence for paramyxoviruswas unequivocal. He has demonstratedcanine distemper virus by in situ

RT-PCR in all the bone samples fromPaget’s disease patients that he hasstudied.

The genetic hypothesis still has toexplain (1) why the disease’sprevalence in the UK has decreased bymore than 50% in the past 20 years,and (2) what accounts for the focaldistribution of the lesions. In contrast,the viral hypothesis leaves unanswered(1) why others have been unable toconfirm the findings of the Manchestergroup, and (2) why the inclusionparticles found in the osteoclasts ofpatients are unlike those found inparamyxovirus-infected cells.

David Anderson proposed thattreatment with bisphosphonates isnow so effective that we should bestriving to ‘cure’ Paget’s disease. Thedebate with John Kanis centred aroundwhat was meant by ‘cure’. Cases werepresented that illustrated completehealing on an isotope bone scan, with

return of bone turnover to normal on

bone biopsy, to make the point that

the disease could be cured if it is

treated aggressively with intravenous

bisphosphonates such as pamidronate.

Other cases showed eventual relapses

if patients are followed for long

enough. Evidence-based prescribing

would support the use of

bisphosphonates for bone pain, bone

deformity, vascular steal syndromes, in

preparation for surgery and, generally

speaking, for stopping disease

progression.

This clearly is a condition that

requires multicentre long-term study

of the effect of treatments on its

complications. However, based on the

first debate, we will need to move fast,

before this condition becomes rare in

the UK!

RICHARD EASTELL, PIERRE MEUNIER

CHAIRPERSONS

Controversies in Paget’s DiseaseBased on a Clinical Management Workshop at BES 2000.

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Throughout medicine, cliniciansand scientists are familiar with

‘International Units’. Yet fewunderstand what such Units are andhow they are prepared.

Such Units are defined bypreparations - ‘International Standards’- set up by the National Institute forBiological Standards and Control(NIBSC) on behalf of the WHO, withhelp from experts worldwide. In 1925,Sir Henry Dale led the initiative forthis sevice, and set up the FirstStandard for Insulin. He started alaboratory at the NIMR in London,where this backroom science has sincedeveloped under the MRC and, since1976, the NIBSC. Besides Dale, thework involved many eminent Britishscientists and vivid personalities,including AS Parkes, JH Gaddum, AAMiles, WLM Perry, DG Evans, JHHumphrey and DJ Finney. The rangeand number of substances involved ishuge: hormones, antibiotics, bloodcomponents, cytokines, microbial

vaccines and antibodies and, morerecently, recombinant DNA substances.

This book describes the origins anddevelopment of an important butunsung corner of science whichBritain has led for 75 years. Theauthor worked in this field for 30 ofthose years, heading departments at

the NIMR and NIBSC; with aWellcome Trust grant he has writtenan insider’s account. Chapters describethe history, the establishment ofstandards, the control of suchsubstances, the pharmacopoeias,administration under the MRC,achievements of the NIBSC, the WHOExpert Committee, co-operation withindustry, biometrics, people andpersonalities. It is a unique account ofan era now much changed, and is ofcurrent interest to individuals, medicalschools and medical archive librariesworldwide.

Copies are available from theSociety. Please enclose a cheque withyour order, made payable to ‘Societyfor Endocrinology’, or give your Visa/Mastercard number and expiry date.

This book attempts the dauntingtask of reviewing the pathology

of the entire endocrine system,which has been achieved bybringing together an internationalpanel of 34 contributors. It aims ‘tocombine traditional morphologicapproaches with recent informationderived from molecular biology’.

The first of the 17 chaptersintroduces the endocrine system ingeneral, outlining the wide spectrum of

bioactive peptides, growth factors andcytokines which might be consideredas hormones, and illustrating the wideintegrative role which the endocrinesystem plays. The next chapterdescribes current methods in cellularand molecular pathology, and covers microscopy, cytometry,immunohistochemistry, tissue cultureand molecular biology techniques, allin some detail. There is also a chapteron fine needle aspiration cytology,mainly of the thyroid. The remainingchapters deal with each of the classicalendocrine glands, multiple endocrineneoplasia, the placenta, immune-endocrine interactions, and theneuroendocrine system.

Some chapters focus mainly onclassical histochemical features, whilstothers do include relevant informationfrom molecular biology. The

referencing is extensive and useful,although in some cases one notes theabsence of recent references. Moderntechniques of cellular investigationhave made possible considerableadvances in our understanding ofcellular mechanisms, in both healthand disease, and recently there havebeen major advances in diagnosticpathology, but the impact of molecularbiology still remains to make itself felt.The editors point out that diagnosis ofpituitary tumours still relies on routinehistology, immunocytochemistry andelectron microscopy.

Although this book is probablymainly of interest to pathologists, asthe editors intended, it will also beuseful to anyone interested in thepathology of the endocrine system.

VIVIAN JAMES

Molecular andCellular EndocrinePathology

A History of Biological Standardization:The characterization and measurement of complexmolecules inportant in clinical and research medicine

Contributions from the UK 1900 – 1995What, why, how, where and by whomD R Bangham, Society for Endocrinology, 2000, 293 pp, £40.00 (Europe), $80.00 (Rest of World), IBSN 1898099146

Eds L Stefaneanu, H Sasano & K Kovacs,Arnold, 2000, £120.00, ISBN034074197X

RESEARCH AWARD 2000 – £10 000

Research must be directly related to thyroid disorders or the basicmisunderstanding of thyroid function.

Up to £10 000 is being offered to enable medical researchers to supplementexisting projects or to pump-prime new research ideas. Funds will be

awarded for consumables, running costs and equipment.

Further information and application forms are available from Mrs B Nevans, BTF, PO Box 97, Clifford, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 6XD

Closing date for applications: 31 August 2000

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EULAR 2000: Annual European Congressof RheumatologyNice, France, 20-24 June 2000.Contact: Tel: +41-1-383 9690; Fax: +41-1-383 9810, Email: eular@bluewin.ch.

ENDO 2000: 82nd Annual MeetingToronto, Canada, 21-24 June 2000.Contact: Beverly Glover, Administrative Assistant,Meetings, The Endocrine Society, 4350 East WestHighway, Suite 500, Bethesda, MD 20814-4410,USA (Tel: +1-301-9410220; Fax: +1-301-9410259; Web: http://www.endo-society.org/scimtgs/scipub.htm).

2nd Melanoma Research MeetingMilan, Italy 23-24 June 2000.Contact: Scientific Secretariat, Dr AlessandroTestori, European Institute of Oncology, viaRipamonti 435, 20141 Milan, Italy (Tel: +39-02-57489493; Fax: +39-02-57489878; Email:atestori@ieo.it) or Organizing Secretariat, M.A.F.Servizi Srl, via G.B. Vico 7, 10128 Torino, Italy(Tel: +39-011-505900; Fax: +39-011-505976;Email: melanoma2000@mafservizi.it).

14th International Symposium of theJournal of Steroid Biochemistry andMolecular BiologyQuébec, Canada, 24-27 June 2000.Contact: Dr JR Pasqualini, Steroid HormoneResearch Unit, 26 Boulevard Brune, 75014 Paris,France (Tel: +33-1-45399109/+33-1-45424121;Fax: +33-1-45426121; Email: jorge.pasqualini@wanadoo.fr).

R2000 (Rheumatology, Neuro-rehabilitation, Pain Management, Sports Injuries, Spinal Injuries)Bath, UK, 28 June-1 July 2000.Contact: Janet Crompton, The Old White Hart,North Nibley, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 6DS,UK (Tel: +44-1453-549929; Fax: +44-1453-548919; Email: janetcrompton@compuserve.com).

British Cancer Research MeetingBrighton, UK, 9-12 July 2000.Contact: BCRM Secretariat, c/o Institute of CancerResearch, Cotswold Road, Sutton, Surrey SM25NG, UK (Tel: + 44-20-87224208; Fax: +44-20-87701395; Email: bcrm@icr.ac.uk;Web: www.icr.ac.uk/bacr/bcrm/bcrm.html).

50th Anniversary Conference of the Bone and Tooth SocietyCambridge, UK, 10-12 July 2000.Contact: Janet Crompton, The Old White Hart,North Nibley, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 6DS, UK (Tel: +44-1453-549929; Fax: +44-1453-548919;Email: janetcrompton@compuserve.com).

Society for Endocrinology Summer School(incorporating Young Endocrinologists Day,Molecular Endocrinology Workshop, AdvancedEndocrine Course and Clinical Practice Day)Bristol, UK, 10-14 July 2000.Contact: Julie Cragg/Ann Lloyd, Society forEndocrinology, 17/18 The Courtyard, Woodlands,Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4NQ, UK (Tel: +44-1454-619036; Fax: +44-1454-616071;Email: info@endocrinology.org; Web: http://www.endocrinology.org).

Metabolic Bone Disease - Genetic,Molecular and Cellular Aspects: AFestschrift for Iain MacIntyre FRSCambridge, UK, 13 July 2000.Contact: Janet Crompton, The Old White Hart,North Nibley, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 6DS,UK (Tel: +44-1453-549929; Fax: +44-1453-548919; Email: janetcrompton@compuserve.com).

18th International Congress ofBiochemistry and Molecular Biology,IUBMB/FEBS 2000Birmingham, UK, 16-20 July 2000.Contact: Biochemical Society, 59 Portland Place,London W1N 3AJ, UK (Tel: +44-20-75805530;Fax: +44-20-73231136; Email: info@iubmb2000.org; Web: http://www.iubmb2000.org).

Techniques and Applications ofMolecular Biology: A Course for MedicalPractitionersWarwick, UK, 17-20 July 2000.Contact: Dr Charlotte West, Department ofBiological Sciences, University of Warwick,Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK (Tel: +44-24-76523540;Fax: +44-24-76523701; Email: Charlotte.West@warwick.ac.uk).

Innate ImmunityStevenage, UK, 21 July 2000.Contact: Biochemical Society, 59 Portland Place,London W1N 3AJ, UK (Tel: +44-20-75803481;Fax: +44-20-76377626; Email: meetings@biochemistry.org; Web: http://www.biochemistry.org/meetings.htm).

5th International Symposium on Neurobiology andNeuroendocrinology of AgingBregenz, Austria, 23-28 July 2000.Contact: R Falvo/A Bartke, Department ofPhysiology, LSII 245, Southern Illinois UniversitySchool of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901-6512,USA (Fax: +1-618-4531517; Email:rfalvo@som.siu.edu/abartke@som.siu.edu; Web:http://www.som.siu.edu/physiology/bregenz.html).

Chemical Signals in Vertebrates IXKraków, Poland, 25-30 July 2000.Contact: Dr Anna Marchlewska-Koj, Institute ofEnvironmental Biology, Jagiellonian University,Ingardena 6, 30-060 Kraków, Poland (Tel/Fax:+48-12-6334003; Email: csv@eko.uj.edu.pl; Web: http://darwin.iz.uj.edu.pl/csv/).

10th Annual Course: A ComprehensiveReview of Movement Disorders for theClinical PractitionerColorado, USA, 28-31 July 2000.Contact: Columbia University College ofPhysicians and Surgeons (Tel: +1-212-7815990;Fax: +1-212-7816047; Email: cme@columbia.edu; Web: http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/cme/).

Fatty Acid Desaturases: Form, Function and FutureKent, UK, 30 July-2 August 2000.Contact: Biochemical Society, 59 Portland Place,London W1N 3AJ, UK (Tel: +44-20-75803481;Fax: +44-20-76377626; Email: meetings@biochemistry.org; Web: http://www.biochemistry.org/meetings.htm).

11th International Conference on Cancer NursingOslo, Norway, 30 July-3 August 2000.Contact: The Conference Office, 11th InternationalConference on Cancer Nursing, Emap Healthcare,Greater London House, Hampstead Road, LondonNW1 7EJ, UK (Tel: +44-20-78740294; Fax: +44-20-78740298; Email: ICCN2000@healthcare.emap.co.uk).

5th Annual Course: Update and Intensive Review in InternalMedicine 2000New York, NY, USA, 30 July-5 August 2000.Contact: Columbia University College ofPhysicians and Surgeons (Tel: +1-212-7815990;Fax: +1-212-7816047; Email: cme@columbia.edu; Web: http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/cme/).

6th International Conference onHormones, Brain and BehaviorMadrid, Spain, 5-9 August 2000.Contact: Professor Antonio Guillamon,Departmento de Psicobiologia, UNED, CiudadUniversitaria s/n Madrid, Spain (Email: aguillamon@psi.uned.es; Web:http://www.sbne.org/Meeting/2000/congreso-neuroendocrinology.html).

Recent Progress in Hormone ResearchWashington, DC, USA, 5-9 August 2000.Contact: Beverly Glover, Administrative Assistant,Meetings, The Endocrine Society, 4350 East WestHighway, Suite 500, Bethesda, MD 20814-4410,USA (Tel: +1-301-9410220; Fax: +1-301-9410259).

17th Annual Meeting on Surgical Gastroenterology: A Multidisciplinary ApproachColorado, USA, 6-11 August 2000.Contact: Johns Hopkins University School ofMedicine, Office of Continuing MedicalEducation, Turner 20/720 Rutland Avenue,Baltimore, MD 21205-2195, USA (Tel: +1-410-9552959; Fax: +1-410-9550807;Email: cmenet@jhmi.edu; Web: http://www.med.jhu.edu/cme).

27th Congress of the European Society for Artificial OrgansLausanne, Switzerland, 31 August–2 September2000.Contact: Beat H Walpoth, Congress President c/oBBS Congress GmbH, CH-3000 Bern 25,Switzerland (Tel: +41-31-3318275; Fax: +41-31-3329879; Email: bbscongress@swissonline.ch;Web: http://www.insel.ch/esao).

Society for Endocrinology Symposiumon Hormones and SportLondon, UK, 4 September 2000. Contact: Helen Gregson, Society for Endocrinology, 17/18 The Courtyard, Woodlands,Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4NQ, UK (Tel:+44-1454-619347; Fax: +44-1454-616071;Email:helen.gregson@endocrinology.org; Web: http://www.endocrinology.org).

Endocrine Nurses Training CourseOxford, UK, 4-6 September 2000.Contact: Ann Lloyd, Society for Endocrinology,17/18 The Courtyard, Woodlands, Bradley Stoke,Bristol BS32 4NQ, UK (Tel: +44-1454-619036; Fax: +44-1454-616071; Email: info@endocrinology.org; Web: http://www.endocrinology.org).

20th Conference of EuropeanComparative EndocrinologistsFaro, Portugal, 5-9 September 2000.Contact: Adelino VM Canario, Centro de Cienciasdo Mar, Universidade do Algarve, Campus deGambelas, 8000 Faro, Portugal (Tel: +351-89-800925; Fax: +351-89-818353; Email: esce2000@ualg.pt; Web: http://www.ualg.pt/ccmar/esce2000).

Hannah Symposium 2000: The Natural History of Breast CancerAyr, UK, 6-8 September 2000.Contact: Symposium Office, Hannah ResearchInstitute, Ayr KA6 5HL, UK (Tel: +44-1292-674000; Fax: +44-1292-674003; Email: symp2000@hri.sari.ac.uk; Web: http://www.hannah2000.abelgratis.co.uk).

23rd Turkish Congress of Endocrinologyand Metabolic Diseases, Joint Meetingwith the European Federation of Endocrine SocietiesAnkara, Turkey, 7-10 September 2000.Contact: Prof. Gurbuz Erdogan, President of theSociety of Endocrinology and Metabolism ofTurkey, Ankara University Medical School,Department of Endocrinology and MetabolicDiseases, Ibn-i Sina Hospital, 10th Floor, D Block,06100 Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey (Tel: +90-312-3105350; Fax: +90-312-3094505or +90-312-3105350; Email: gurbuz.erdogan@temd.org.tr; Web: http://www.semt.org.tr orhttp://www.temd.org.tr).

Neuroendocrinology: BritishNeuroendocrine Group MeetingBristol, UK, 10-12 September 2000.Contact: Dr Colin Ingram, Department ofAnatomy, School of Medical Sciences, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK (Email: c.ingram@bristol.ac.uk; Web: http://www.neuroendo.org.uk).

7th European Workshop on Pituitary DiseaseOxford, UK, 10-13 September 2000.Contact: Janet Crompton, The Old White Hart,North Nibley, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 6DS,UK (Tel: +44-1453-549929; Fax: +44-1453-548919; Email: janetcrompton@compuserve.com).

9th International MagnesiumSymposiumVichy, France, 10-15 September 2000.Contact: Yves Rayssiguier, INRA, Clermont-Ferrand-Thiex, F-63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France (Fax: +33-4-73624638;Email: mag2000@clermont.inra.fr; Web: http://www.inra.fr/clermont/mag2000).

STADY II - International Symposium onSignal Transduction in Health andDiseaseTel Aviv, Israel, 12-15 September 2000.Contact: Prof. Zvi Naor, Department ofBiochemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel(Tel: +972-3-6409032/6417057; Fax: +972-3-6406834; Email: stady2000@unitours.co.il ornaorzvi@post.tau.ac.il).

Ares-Serono Workshop on MolecularGenetics of Human ReproductionCrete, Greece, 15-17 September 2000.Contact: Dr E Milgrom, Hospital Bicetre, 78 Ruedu Général Leclerc, 94275 Kremlin Bicetre,France (Fax: +33-1-45212751; Email: ul35@kb.inserm.fr; Web: www.med.uoc.gr/~seroncon).

IGFs and CancerHalle/Saale, Germany, 15-17 September 2000.Contact: Dr W Zumkeller, Martin-Luther-University, Halle-Wittenberg, Children’s HospitalMedical Centre, Ernst-Grube-Str. 40, 06097Halle/Saale, Germany (Tel: +49-345-5572388; Fax: +49-345-5572033; Email: walter.zumkeller@medizin.uni-halle.de).

39th Annual Meeting of the EuropeanSociety of Paediatric EndocrinologyBrussels, Belgium, 17-19 September 2000.Contact: A Segers (Scientific Secretariat) (Tel: +32-2-7641370; Fax: +32-2-7648910) orConference Secretariat, Congrex Sweden AB (Tel: +46-8-4596600; Fax: +46-8-6619125).

3rd Teupitz Colloquium: Basic Research in Endocrine DermatologyBerlin, Germany, 17-20 September 2000.Contact: Prof. Ch C Zouboulis, University MedicalCenter Benjamin Franklin, Free University ofBerlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin,Germany (Tel: +49-30-84452808; Fax: +49-30-84454262; Email: zoubbere@zedat.fu-berlin.de).

36th Annual Meeting of the EuropeanAssociation for the Study of DiabetesJerusalem, Israel, 17-21 September 2000.Contact: EASD 2000, PO Box 50006, Tel-Aviv61500, Israel (Tel: +972-3-5140000; Fax: +972-3-5140077/5175674; Email: EASD@kenes.com; Web: http://www.kenes.com/easd).

Early Regulation of Mammalian DevelopmentAberdeen, UK, 18-20 September 2000.Contact: British Society of Animal Science, PO Box 3, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0RZ, UK (Tel: +44-131-4454508; Fax: +44-131-5353120;Email: BSAS@ed.sac.ac.uk; Web:http://www.bsas.org.uk/meetings/occasion.htm).

International Workshop onDevelopmental EndocrinologyCambridge, UK, 21-22 September 2000.Contact: Cathy Stewart, Serono PharmaceuticalsLtd, Bedfont Cross, Stanwell Road, Feltham,Middlesex TW14 8NX, UK (Tel: +44-20-88187247; Fax: +44-20-88187222;Email: cathy.f.stewart.gb_lon01@serono.com).

American Society of Bone and Mineral ResearchToronto, Canada, 22-26 September 2000.Contact: Tel: +1-202-8571161; Fax: +1-202-2234579; Email: asbmr@sba.com.

3rd World Congress on StressDublin, Ireland, 24-27 September 2000.Contact: Northern Networking Ltd, BellwayHouse, 813 South Street, Glasgow G14 0BX, UK (Tel: +44-141-9544441; Fax: +44-141-9542656;Email: stress@glasconf.demon.co.uk).

An Introduction to ImmunologyWarwick, UK, 27-28 September 2000.Contact: Dr Charlotte West, Department ofBiological Sciences, University of Warwick,Coventry CV4 7AL, UK (Tel: +44-24-76523540; Fax: +44-24-76523701;Email: Charlotte.West@warwick.ac.uk).

Clinical Endocrinology Update: 2000Philadelphia, PA, USA, 1-4 October 2000.Contact: Beverly Glover, Administrative Assistant,Meetings, The Endocrine Society, 4350 East WestHighway, Suite 500, Bethesda, MD 20814-4410,USA (Tel: +1-301-9410220; Fax: +1-301-9410259).

Euresco Conference: B-Cells in Health and DiseaseMunich, Germany, 3-8 October 2000.Contact: Dr J Hendekovic, European ScienceFoundation, 1 quai Lezay-Marnésia, 67080Strasbourg Cedex, France (Tel: +33-3-88767135;Fax: +33-3-88366987; Email: euresco@esf.org;Web: http://www.esf.org/euresco).

EFES Regional Polish-Slovak-Czech-Hungarian Postgraduate Clinical Coursein EndocrinologyPolanczyk, Poland, 4-7 October 2000.Contact: Prof. Andrzej Lewinski, Department ofThyroidology, Institute of Endocrinology, MedicalUniversity of Lodz, Dr. Sterling 5, 91-425 Lodz,Poland (Tel/Fax: +48-42-6322594; Email: alewin@psk2.am.lodz.pl).

28th Meeting of the British Society forPaediatric Endocrinology and DiabetesBirmingham, UK, 12-13 October 2000.Contact: BioScientifica Ltd, 16 The Courtyard,Woodlands, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 4NQ, UK(Tel: +44-1454-619347; Fax: +44-1454-616071;Email: info@endocrinology.org; Web: http://www.bioscientifica.com).

7th EFES Postgraduate Course in Clinical EndocrinologyDelphi, Greece, 12-15 October 2000.Contact: Public Relations Center, 102Mihalacopoulou St, 115 28 Athens, Greece (Fax:+30-1-7711289; Email: PRC@COMPULINK.GR).

World Congress of High-Tech Medicine,during the World Exhibition 2000Hanover, Germany, 15-20 October 2000.Contact: Professor H-P Bruch, University ofLübeck, Department of Surgery, Ratzeburger Allee160, 23 538 Lübeck, Germany (Tel: +49-451-5002000; Fax: +49-451-5002069; Email: high-tech-siloah@t-online.de; Web: http://www.high-tech-med.com).

13th International Symposium onRegulatory Peptides (REGPEP 2000)Cairns, Qld, Australia, 22-26 October 2000.Contact: Conference Secretariat, ICMS Pty Ltd, 84Queensbridge Street, Southbank, Victoria 3006,Australia (Tel: +61-3-96820244; Fax: +61-3-96820288; Email: regpep@icms.com.au; Web: http://www.icms.com.au/regpep).

3rd International Conference on Relaxinand Related Peptides: Relaxin 2000Broome, WA, Australia, 22-27 October 2000.Contact: Relaxin 2000 Secretariat(Email: j.wade@hfi.unimelb.edu.au; Web: http://hfi.unimelb.edu.au/relaxin2000).

12th International Thyroid CongressKyoto, Japan, 22-27 October 2000.Contact: SK Kasagi, Secretary, c/o CongressCorporation, Kinki Center Building, 14 YoshidaKawaghara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8305,Japan (Tel: +81-75-7520888; Fax: +81-75-7719709; Email: kkasa@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp;Web: http://www.dnm.kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp/itc).

11th International Congress of EndocrinologySydney, NSW, Australia, 29 October-3 November2000.Contact: Conference Secretariat, GPO Box 2609,Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia (Tel: +61-2-92411478; Fax: +61-2-92513552; Email: ice2000@icmsaust.com.au; Web: http://www.icmsaust.com.au/ice2000).

1st International Congress of EndocrineNursing at ICE2000Sydney, NSW, Australia, 30 October-1 November2000.Contact: ICEN2000, PO Box 128, NorthbridgeNSW 1560, Australia (Fax: +61-2-94395181).

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10-13 SEPTEMBER 2000OXFORD, UK

In association with the European Neuroendocrine Association and European Federation of Endocrine Societies

Further details from:Janet Crompton, Conference Organiser

Tel +44 (0)1453 549929 Fax +44 (0)1453 548919Email janetcrompton@compuserve.comhttp://www.janet-crompton.com/ewpd

7th European Workshop on

Pituitary Disease

somatropin (epr)

• Available in a range of 5, 10 and 15 mg* cartridges.

• Norditropin® SimpleXxTM reduces handling and training time.1

• No reconstitution of growth hormone required.

• Bioequivalent to freeze-dried Norditropin®.2

• Designed to provide flexible and accurate dosing.

*1 mg = 3 IU

The world’s f i rst l iquid hGHin an integrated pen system

Presentations: Norditropin SimpleXx™5mg/1.5ml (somatropin (epr) 5mg),Norditropin SimpleXx™ 10mg/1.5ml(somatropin (epr) 10mg), NorditropinSimpleXx™ 15mg/1.5ml (somatropin(epr) 5mg) for use only with Nordipen™5, 10 and 15 respectively. Uses: Growthfailure due to growth hormone (GH)insufficiency, Turner syndrome orprepubertal chronic renal disease.Pronounced GH deficiency in adults ifevidence of deficiency in at least oneother pituitary axis (prolactin excepted)or childhood onset growth hormoneinsufficiency, reconfirmed by twoprovocative test. Posology andmethod of administration: Dosage isindividual via subcutaneous injection,usually daily. Generally recommendeddaily dosages: GH insufficiency25-35 µg/kg/day [0.07-0.1 IU/kg/day]body weight or 0.7 - 1.0 mg/m2/daybody surface area [2-3 IU/m2/day]6-7 times per week. Turner syndromeand chronic renal disease: 50µg/kg/day[0.14 IU/kg/day] or 1.4 mg/m2/day[4.3 IU/m2/day]. Adults: very lowstarting dose e.g. 0.15 - 0.3 mg/day(0.45 - 0.9 IU/day) increased gradually

at monthly intervals. Maintenancedosages vary but seldom exceed1mg/day (3 IU/day). Dose requirementsdecline with age. Contra-indications:Hypersensitivity, active tumour, tumourtherapy. Treatment should bediscontinued after renal transplantationor if tumour growth recurs. Specialwarnings: Children should be regularlyassessed by a specialist in childgrowth. Treatment should be instigatedby a physician with special knowledgeof GH insufficiency. No skeletal growthcan be expected after epiphysial discclosure. Growth disturbance in chronicrenal disease should be established bymonitoring growth for 1 year on optimaltreatment for renal disease. Monitor forglucose intolerance (if on insulin theremay be need for dose adjustment);thyroid function; renal function inpatients with chronic renalinsufficiency; and in patients withhistory of an intracranial lesion fortumour progression or recurrence. Inthe event of severe or recurrentheadache, visual problems, nauseaand/or vomiting, a funduscopy isrecommended. If papilloedema is

confirmed, a diagnosis of benignintracranial hypertension shouldbe considered and if appropriatethe growth hormone treatmentdiscontinued. Experience withprolonged treatment in adults islimited. Experience above 60 years ofage is lacking. Interactions:Concomitant glucocorticoid therapymay inhibit growth. Pregnancy andlactation: Contraindicated duringpregnancy because of insufficientevidence of safety. The possibilitythat human growth hormone issecreted in breast milk cannot bediscounted. Undesirable effects: Fluidretention with peripheral oedema andespecially in adults carpal tunnelsyndrome - normally transient. Mildarthalgia, muscle pain, paresthesia inadults usually self-limiting; rarelyheadaches in children (0.04/patientyear). Formation of anti-somatropinantibodies are rare - where observedthe antibodies have not interferedwith response to Norditropin. Localskin reactions. Benign intracranialhypertension has been reported rarely.Overdose: Acute: hypoglycaemia with

subsequent hyperglycaemia. Long-term overdose may cause knowneffects of GH excess. PharmaceuticalPrecautions: Store at 2o - 8oC in theouter carton or during use in Nordipen.Do not freeze or shake vigorously. Legalcategory: POM, CD4. Prices andmarketing authorisation numbers:Norditropin SimpleXx™ 5mg/1.5ml:£117.10 PL3132/0131Norditropin SimpleXx™ 10mg/1.5ml:£234.20 PL3132/0132Norditropin SimpleXx™ 15mg/1.5ml:£351.30 PL3132/0133

Name and address of PL holder:Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals Limited,Novo Nordisk House, Broadfield Park,Brighton Road, Pease Pottage, Crawley,West Sussex, RH11 9RT.Nordipen®, Norditropin® andSimpleXx™ are trademarks Reference:1. Müller et al. Horm Res 1999, in press.2. Jakobsen LV, et al. Abstract P2/54881st Annual Meeting of the EndocrineSociety, San Diego, 12-15 June 1999.

Date of preparation: November 19990923