EFES CONTACT DETAILS
EFES have recently established offices in Brussels and in Bristol, UK. Full addresses are at www.euro-endo.org/site/default.htm. This means that for all membership and general enquiries you should contact Helen Gregson at info@euro-endo.org or call +32 2 517 71 07 or +44 1454 642247. Alternatively use the online contact form at http://www.euro-endo.org/site/contactform.htm

PROPOSAL TO FORM A EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF ENDOCRINOLOGY
A proposal will shortly be sent to all European national endocrine societies, who will be asked to consult their members and respond by 1 October 2004. Further details will be included in the next alert and the full consultation document will be on the website.

EJE ONLINE SUBMISSION
Don’t forget you can now submit online to European Journal of Endocrinology, making it quicker and easier to submit your articles to EJE. The ESPERE (electronic submission and peer review) system enables authors to submit their articles as PDF files by registering on the site at http://www.eje.org/eje/onlinesub.htm. Users are given advice on creating their files and guided step-by-step through the submission procedure.

More details and submission instructions are available at http://www.eje.org/eje/onlinesub.htm

EFES NEWS – ARE YOU GETTING YOURS?
If you are a member of any of the European national endocrine societies, you should receive a free copy of EFES News (http://www.euro-endo.org/news.htm) each spring and autumn. If you are not receiving this and would like to, please send your full name and address to: jane.shepley@endocrinology.org

The latest issue of EFES news (Spring 2003) is now available on the EFES website at: http://www.euro-endo.org/news/newsletter/Issue10.pdf

EFES WEBSITE
Please add the EFES website home page to your favourites www.euro-endo.org. Navigate through the pages and give us your feedback and suggestions. Please send any websites you would like to see added to EFES Links to: jane.shepley@endocrinology.org

The EFES Executive Committee sincerely appreciate your time and look forward to hearing from you.

Pharmacokinetics, safety, and endocrine and appetite effects of ghrelin administration in young healthy subjects
Takashi Akamizu, Kazuhiko Takaya, Taiga Irako, Hiroshi Hosoda, Satoshi Teramukai, Akiko Matsuyama, Harue Tada, Kazumi Miura, Akira Shimizu, Masanori Fukushima, Masayuki Yokode, Koichi Tanaka and Kenji Kangawa

Kyoto University School of Medicine and National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute (Osaka), Japan

European Journal of Endocrinology 150(4) pp447-455
http://www.eje.org/eje/fca/EJE01586.htm

Ghrelin has been demonstrated to play a major role in the regulation of growth hormone (GH) secretion and food intake. Ghrelin has previously been shown to have multiple effects in both the brain and peripheral tissues and could be useful in the treatment of GH deficiency. By conducting their double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study in young, healthy volunteers, Akamizu and co-workers aimed to bridge the gap of data on its safety in humans. This was a phase I/II trial, in which groups of volunteers received high and low dose (1 and 5 mg/kg respectively) intravenous injections of ghrelin in acylated form. Acylated ghrelin was reportedly eliminated more rapidly from plasma than total ghrelin, with only transient side effects. The study indicated that it is safe to progress with clinical trials to assess ghrelin’s use in the treatment of disorders related to GH secretion and appetite.

ESF Exploratory Workshops - 2004 Call for proposals
The 2004 call is for workshops to be held between 1 January-31 December 2005. The aims of a workshop are to target and explore either or both: a challenging scientific topic, preferably an emerging or innovative field of research, and or, a challenging science-driven issue of research infrastructure that would benefit from a collaborative European approach. Also, to foster transnational and interdisciplinary links, and to develop future collaborative research projects/programmes within or outside the frame of ESF.

Deadlines for applications is 1 May 2004. For more information and application instructions go to: http://www.esf.org/workshops

Human Growth Foundation. Small grants program announced
HGF will only consider topics relevant to human growth and development, including but not limited to areas of biology, psychosocial, and nutrition, with special consideration given for the chondrodystrophies.

An NIH type biographical sketch and two-page letter of intent should be submitted to the HGF by 15 May 2004 if you wish to apply.

More details and information can be found at: http://www.hgfound.org/smallgrants.html

Supporting visionary research in the EU
New and emerging science and technology (NEST) is a new activity within the 6th Framework Programme, supporting unconventional and visionary research with the potential to open new fields for European science and technology. It will also support research on new potential problems uncovered by science and help to consolidate European efforts in emerging fields of research.
A distinctive feature of NEST is its flexibility: researchers will be given the freedom to develop and prove their idea within the broadest limits.
For more information visit: http://www.cordis.lu/fp6/nest/htm

NIH call for submissions: Bone anabolic hormones, their receptors and signal transduction pathways details
The objective of this initiative is to elicit grant submissions that focus on systemic hormones, local growth factors and bone-active cytokines with potential bone anabolic effects. The signal transduction pathways recruited by the receptors of these hormones and growth factors are of particular interest. Although the primary focus is on basic research, the long-term objective is to identify potential targets of therapeutic value in the treatment of diseases that adversely affect bone including, but not limited to, osteoporosis due to loss of gonadal steroids, aging, use of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive drugs, hyperparathyroidism, excessive thyroid hormone replacement, or tumour metastasis to bone. Grant ref: PA-03-008
Next deadline for applications: 1 June 2004
For further information and instructions for application go to the grant webpage at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-03-008.html

NIH call for submissions: Complex formation in hormonal regulation of gene expression
This initiative aims to expand research addressing the fundamental underlying mechanisms by which nuclear accessory proteins (such as coactivators and corepressors) mediate signaling through hormone receptors at the level of the regulation of gene expression. It also encourages research in other related areas and refinement of the role of higher order complex formation in effecting hormonal regulation of gene expression.
Next deadline for applications: 1 June 2004
For further information and instructions for application go to the grant webpage at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-02-100.html

NIH programme announcement: Biology of the menopausal process and associated health conditions during and after menopause details
This award aims to support research that elucidates molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the menopausal process, and the pathophysiologic connections of that process with various health problems and conditions of the peri- and postmenopausal women.
Next deadline for applications: 1 June 2004
For further information and instructions for applications go to the grant webpage at:
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-01-067.html

Other current NIH grants
Ubiquitin and Ubiquitin-like modifications regulating disease processes
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-03-145.html

Emerging technologies for the study of reproductive neuroendocrinology
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-03-079.html

Proteomics in diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-03-052.html

Jobs and Grants Forum on the EFES website
Attention jobseekers! Post your details on the site.
Attention employers! Advertise jobs or search for suitable candidates online.
Attention funders! Add your grant to the EFES forum.

Go to: http://www.euro-endo.org/jobs.htm

Reproduction is now online with HighWire via: http://www.reproduction-online.org where full text of all review articles and material over a year old (and all articles of its predecessors: Reviews of Reproduction and Journal of Reproduction and Fertility) is FREELY available to all.

Reproduction offers:
- No page charges
- Free colour
- Online submission and peer review

... and now offers wider dissemination online for your published papers to a broader community in the HighWire stable of journals. Author guidelines, online submission and subscription details are also all at http://www.reproduction-online.org

Reproduction is the official journal of the Society for Reproduction and Fertility and is now published by BioScientifica Ltd.

Open access to scientific data
At a meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) committee for scientific and technological policy on 29 and 30 January, ministers representing 34 countries, as well as the EU, adopted a declaration on access to research data from public funding aimed at enhancing the quality of science systems worldwide.

Ministers recognised that open access to data, information and knowledge “contributes decisively to the advancement of scientific research and innovation” and “maximise[s] the value derived from public investments in data collection”. They therefore concluded that open and transparent methods for accessing research data should be created, either by strengthening existing instruments, or by establishing new mechanisms for collaboration. Achieving this aim whilst ensuring the protection of intellectual property and trade secrets was highlighted as a priority.

The full OECD report is available at:
http://www.oecd.org/document/15/0,2340,en_2649_34487_25998799_1_1_1_1,00.html

Making professional movement easier within the EU
The European Parliament has approved at first reading the proposed Directive to
clarify and simplify the rules on the free movement of qualified people between the
Member States. The Directive constitutes the first comprehensive modernisation of the EU system since it was conceived over forty years ago, and would cut red tape by replacing fifteen existing Directives in the field of the recognition of professional qualifications.

A number of changes are proposed compared with the existing rules, including greater
liberalisation of the provision of services, more automatic recognition of qualifications,
increased flexibility in the procedures for updating the Directive and more co-operation
between the EC and Member States in order to keep citizens better informed about their
rights and to give them more help in getting their qualifications recognised. The EC
presented the proposal in March 2002. The text as amended by the EP will now, under
the EU "co-decision procedure", be debated by the Council of Ministers, which is
expected to adopt a Common Position in May 2004.

EC Press Release number IP/04/197, available at:
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh

Internet petition asks EU to repeal clinical trials directive
European health-care researchers have launched a campaign calling on the European Parliament and Commission to repeal their Directive (EC/2001/20) on Good Clinical Practice. The internet petition states that this ruling will mean that administrative costs of clinical trials will be so high that those without pharmaceutical backing, such as those cancer research trials involving generic or widely available drugs, or (as in the case of screening) no drugs at all will be too costly to carry out by charities or volunteers.
To see more, and sign the petition go to: http://www.saveeuropeanresearch.org

Pesticide ban showing benefits to newborns
A study by the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health has shown that the federal ban on household use of two commonly-used insecticides – chlorpyrifos and diazinon – in 2000 has shown significant improvements in exposure levels and size and weight of newborns. Levels of the chemicals in ubilical cord blood have fallen significantly with a concomitant reduction in their impact on newborns’ birth weight and length.

Dr Robin Whyatt, principle author of the study said ‘The differences in fetal growth seen here are comparable to the differences between babies whose mothers smoke during pregnancy and babies whose mothers don’t.’

The study is published in Environmental Health Perspectives and can be found online at http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov

Fulvestrant (Faslodex) approved in EU as second-line treatment of advanced breast cancer
AstraZeneca has won European approval for fulvestrant (Faslodex) as second-line treatment of advanced breast cancer in post-menopausal women. Faslodex targets and degrades the oestrogen receptor and the company claims that it is the first new type of treatment for hormone receptor positive advanced breast cancer to be approved in the EU since 1995.

http://www.druginfozone.nhs.uk/Record%20Viewing/vR.aspx?id=530437

deCODE to launch osteoporosis risk test
The Iclandic company, deCODE, will launch later this year a test based on their discovery that women that inherit a particular variation of the BMP-2 gene are between three and five times more likely to develop osteoporosis. Women who discover that they are in the high risk group can begin to take preventative measures using drugs and/or lifestyle changes.

http://www.decode.com

Get involved!
The EFES website has a discussion forum facility, please feel free to share your views, comments, and interests with others. To join visit:
http://www.euro-endo.org/discuss.htm