1st International Symposium on Phospholipids in Pharmaceutical Research
11th – 12th May 2009 in Heidelberg, Germany
Meeting Report
Constanze Setzer
Managing Director, Phospholipid Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
On May 11–12, 2009, the 1st Symposium on Phospholipids in Pharmaceutical Research took place at the TP ConferenceCenter im Technologiepark Heidelberg, Germany.
The aim of the meeting was to provide a platform for discussion and contact throughout the spectra of interest of phospholipid scientists.
Following the address of welcome by Dr. Herbert Rebmann, the Chairman of the Phospholipid Research Center, Prof. Christel MĂĽller-Goymann, Braunschweig, a member of the Scientific Board of the Phospholipid Research Center and one of the organizers, opened the scientific program. The latter consisted of 15 presentations and more than 50 posters covering many different aspects such as production and analysis of phospholipids, their physical properties and the experience with their use in pharmaceutical products as useful additives. The poster session took place in the morning of the second day of the meeting.
Three oral presentations dealt with research subjects that were part of projects funded by the Phospholipid Research Center. One, entitled: “Tetraether Lipid based Liposomes as oral Drug Delivery System.”, was given by Prof. Gert Fricker, Heidelberg. Prof. Natasa Skalko-Basnet, Tromsø reported on the recent results of her research study focused on “Phospholipid-based Delivery Systems for Phytochemicals”. The third talk given by Dr. Mona Tawab covered “Drug-Phospholipid-Complexes: Their pharmaceutical Relevance and structural Properties.”
The Phospholipid Research Center presented one poster of a funded project. It was together with Prof. Fricker, Heidelberg, about the “Oral Bioavailability of pharmaceutical Actives by NanoSolve”.
In addition three posters were presented that introduced research projects funded by the Phospholipid Research Center. One poster was from Dr. Peters, Freiburg, about the project “Phosphatidylcholines in Anticancer Drug Delivery: Mere innocent Bystanders?” Another introduced latest findings in the project “Oral Bioavailability Screening: Comparison of the Phospholipid Vesicle-based Permeation Barrier with Caco-2 Cells”. It was presented by Sarah Fischer, Heidelberg. The third poster by Jan Hüsch dealt with “Drug-Phospholipid-Complexes: Their pharmaceutical Relevance and structural Properties.”
A reception as well as the conference dinner took place in the Castle of Heidelberg. Italian as well as regional delicacies were served.
The 130 participants from all over the world perceived the meeting as informative in a relaxed atmosphere. A number of fruitful discussions took place after the oral presentations as well as during the poster session and the breaks. The pleasant social program with the guided tour through the Castle of Heidelberg was well received by the participants.