Conference on drug development for the third world. (360G-Wellcome-080689_Z_06_Z)

Conference on Drug Development for the Third World The challenge of quantitatively predicting the biological potency of new drugs based on computational physics tools is not so far from being met. Unfortunately, however, little attention has been paid to the computer-aided design of drugs in areas where pharmaceutical companies have little incentive for significant investment. To involve computational (bio) physicists from developing countries in topics related to drug design, the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste will organise a Conference on Drug Development for the Third World, to take place from 5 to 9 June 2006. The Conference will present both computational and experimental approaches to therapies, with applications to specific disorders or systems. The lectures will be complemented by practical sessions on bioinformatics and molecular docking. Topics will include: 1) Computer-aided drug design 2) Molecular simulations of drug/target complexes 3) Parasitic diseases 4) Target for anti-AIDS therapy 5) Medicinal chemistry of malaria 6) Vaccine development Scientists and students from all countries that are members of the United Nations, UNESCO or IAEA may attend the Conference. Although the main purpose of the ICTP is to help researchers from developing nations through a programme of training activities within a framework of international cooperation, students and post-doctoral scientists from developed countries are also welcome to attend. The Conference will be conducted in English.