New website for EJE now live
EJE went online with HighWire during January 2005. Please bookmark the new address: www.eje-online.org/

This new arrangement means that readers will benefit from an increased level of functionality including full-text html and toll-free linking from the reference list to the full text of articles in other journals also hosted by HighWire.

14th EFES Postgraduate Course in Clinical Endocrinology
This course will be held in Naples, Italy on 17-19 November 2005 and is being organised by Dr Anna Maria Colao. For information, go to www.efes-pcce2005napoli.it

New EFES News
Issue 13 of EFES News is out now and available online at http://www.euro-endo.org/news/newsletter/default.htm

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: tom.parkhill@endocrinology.org

European Commission drops health legislation
The health sector is to be excluded from draft European legislation designed to open up the market for services throughout the EU. This decision has been welcomed by medical organisations who have always maintained that because of its unique nature, the health sector should not be covered by the new rules. Under these rules, the service providers registered with their own national regulators would be able to operate throughout the union from their home base without any further formalities.

EU’s new Research Framework Programme (FP7) 2007-2013
On 6 April the European Commission adopted a proposal for a new EU programme for Research. Information can be found at the Europa website.

The multi-ligand somatostatin analogue SOM230 inhibits ACTH secretion by cultured human corticotroph adenomas via somatostatin receptor type 5

LJ Hofland, J van der Hoek, R Feelders, MO van Aken, PM van Koetsveld, M Waaijers, D Sprij-Mooij, C Bruns, G Weckbecker, WW de Herder, A Beckers and SWJ Lamberts

European Journal of Endocrinology 152-4 pp 645-654

The success of somatostatin (SS) therapy to regulate ACTH release in patients with pituitary-dependent Cushing’s disease has been low. The primary treatment option is therefore surgery, followed by radiotherapy if surgery is unsuccessful. However, research into the expression of SS receptors (sst) in adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH)-secreting pituitary adenomas has recently demonstrated that a novel SS analogue, named SOM230, inhibits ACTH release by corticotroph adenomas.

SOM230 has a high binding affinity to SS receptor subtypes sst 1, sst 2, sst 3 and particularly to sst 5. Comparisons between the in vitro effects of the SS analogue octreotide (OCT), which preferentially binds with the sst 2 receptor, and SOM230 are the focus of the study by Hofland and co-workers. They obtained tumour samples from 11 patients with Cushing’s disease who had undergone transsphenoidal operations and determined the level of sst subtype expression by quantitative RT-PCR. sst 5 mRNA levels were detected at significantly higher levels than sst 2 mRNA in corticotroph adenomas. The authors report that incubation with SOM230 inhibited ACTH release in three out of five cultures, but in only one in five cultures with OCT. Pre-treating the cultures with dexamethasone had no influence on the inhibitory effect of SOM230.

The inhibitory effect of SOM230 on ACTH secretion by corticotroph adenomas in vivo needs to be further evaluated, but the indications are that this novel analogue has potential as a medical treatment for patients with pituitary-dependent Cushing’s disease.

http://www.eje-online.org/content/vol152/issue4/index.dtl

LATEST EJE IMPACT FACTOR 2.941
NEW! WEBSITE FOR EJE: www.eje-online.org/

WADA grants
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) promotes and coordinates, at the worldwide level, the "fight" against doping in all its forms. Through this independent agency, the Olympic Movement and the public authorities have intensified their efforts to keep drugs out of sport.

One of WADA's missions is to support research in the field of anti-doping. To this end, a yearly call for proposals is posted on WADA's website ( www.wada-ama.org) in March, seeking applications from scientists around the world. WADA grants typically cover areas related to physiology, haematology, endocrinology and gene therapy applied to sports and to the detection of doping substances.

Marie Curie Conferences and Training Courses
The aim of these conferences and course is to enable junior researchers to benefit from the experience of leading researchers. Support will be given to specific training activities (including virtual ones) that highlight particular European achievements and interests. The total budget is €12.25m, with a closing date of 18 May 2005.

ESF/EMBO call for symposia proposals for 2006 and 2006
A Call for Proposals is now open for up to five Symposia, co-sponsored by ESF and EMBO, which will take place in each of calendar years 2006 and 2007. The Call is addressed to leading European scientists for Symposia to take place in Europe. Topics should be at the forefront of scientific research and should be interdisciplinary, focusing on Biology at the interface with other disciplines. The deadline for 2006 proposals is 10 May 2005. For 2007 proposals the deadline is 1 October 2005. See: http://www.esf.org/esf_genericpage.php?section=10&language=0&genericpage=2231

Euroscience Open Forum 2006 – call for proposals
ESOF2006 is the second pan-European General Science Meeting to be held in Munich from July 15th-19th, 2006. ESOF seeks to showcase European achievements right across the scientific spectrum and serves as an open forum for debates on science-related issues. ESOF are now seeking proposals for this conference; the deadline is 15 June 2006, for more information see: http://www.esof2006.org/news_detail.php4?ID=19

ESF Expoloratory Workshops - 2005 Call for proposals
The 2005 call is for workshops to be held between 1 January-31 December 2006. The aims of a workshop are to explore an emerging and/or innovative field of research or research infrastructure. Successful proposals will be expected to demonstrate the potential to open up new directions in research or new domains. They should also show potential for initiating follow-up research activities and/or developing future collaborative actions. Interdisciplinary topics are encouraged.

Descartes Prize 2005 – excellence in science communication
The European Commission invites nominations for the 2005 René Descartes Prize for excellence in European collaborative research and science communication. The budget will be 1 250 000 euro.

Deadline for applications is 10 May 2005.

Fourth IOF-SERVIER Young Investigator Research Award
The IOF-SERVIER Research Award is a grant of 40 000 Euros awarded every 2 years to a project within the field of osteoporosis. The award is aimed at encouraging young scientists and therefore is limited to applicants up to 40 years of age.

The Award is officially granted during the IOF World Congress on Osteoporosis to which the winner is invited.

Deadline for submission of completed applications: 1 December 2005

The Fogarty “International Research Collaboration- Basic Biomedical” Sciences Research Award (FIRCA-BB) facilitates collaborative basic biomedical research between scientists supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and investigators in developing countries.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-05-072.html

Preclinical Study of Efficacy in Animal Models of Diabetic Complications
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-DK-05-008.html

Beta Cell Regeneration for Diabetes Therapy
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DK-05-007.html