Click here for ECCR 2007 Final Programme

Click here for ECCR 2007 Abstract Book

Introduction
The 12th Annual Meeting of the European Council for Cardiovascular Research (ECCR) took place in La Colle sur Loup, near Nice, France, from 12th – 14th October 2007.

150 participants represented the major research active groups in Europe and contributed to a programme noted for its outstanding scientific quality. Members of the Council, presenters of critically refereed communications and a number of keynote lecturers contributed to a widely varying programme of topics ranging from molecular genetics and cellular biology to the pathophysiology of human vascular disease and clinical science. Workshops included active discussions on the Role of the Endothelial Cell Surface Layer, the Glycocalyx, in Cardiovascular Disease, Arteriogenesis: Go With the Flow, and Cardiovascular Genetics.

Keynote Lectures were given on the subjects of ‘The Role of Renin in Kidney Development (Kenneth Gross, Buffalo, USA) and Pulmonary Hypertension (Nazzareno Galié (Bologna, Italy).  In addition, we were pleased to welcome Ovidiu Baltatu from Speedel and Guiseppe Di Benedetto from Otsuka who both gave Invited Speaker presentations in the New Therapies Session.

 


In addition, oral free communication sessions were held on the Heart and Brain, Vascular Biology and Kidney and Blood Pressure.

ECCR Prizes
The prize for the Best Oral Presentation to Mr. Yannick Marc (Paris) for his presentation entitled ‘Orally active aminopeptidase A inhibitors reduce blood pressure by blocking the brain renin-angiotensin system activity:  a new strategy for the treatment of hypertension’. 

The prize for the Best Poster Presentation was awarded to Dr. Marica Bordicchia (Ancona) for her presentation entitled ‘Human visceral adipose tissue expansion:  effects of angiotensin II and atrial natriuretic peptide on perirenal adipocytes in primary cultures.

Publication of Abstracts
Abstracts from the meeting have been published in Hypertension (Volume 50, No. 4, pages 800-823).

Scholarships
The Council and its members, who are all active researchers in either basic or clinical science, encourage other researchers to submit their work for presentation at the annual conference. In the last eight years, over 345 scholarships have been made available to support young investigators taking an active role in the meeting.

Executive Committee
The Executive Committee elected at the Business Meeting on 13th October 2007 is as follows:

Martin Paul (President)
Alun Hughes (President-Elect)
Angela Shore (Secretary)
Gian Paolo Rossi (Treasurer)
Michael Bader
Daniel Cusi
Jan Danser
Marisol Fernandez-Alfonso
Florence Pinet
Yigal Pinto

Acknowledgements
The ECCR Executive Committee would like to acknowledge the assistance of the following companies who participated in the ECCR this year and are therefore helping to improve coordination of research in Europe:

Corporate Member:           AstraZeneca

Sponsors:                            Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
                                          Otsuka Pharmaceutical Europe Ltd.
                                          Speedel Experimenta AG