About the 48th Symposium on Hormones and Cell Regulation

 

The Mont Sainte Odile meetings were established in the 1950s by Jacques Dumont, with the vision of fostering reconciliation through scientific exchange by bringing together researchers from both sides of the Second World War. Over the decades, these meetings have become a renowned forum for exploring the mechanisms of hormone and messenger action in cellular regulation, contributing significantly to advances in biomedical research and drug discovery.

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The 48th edition, to be held from October 7–10, 2026, will focus on:
Phosphoinositides: Key Regulators of Cell Signaling and Membrane Dynamics in Health and Disease.

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Phosphoinositides are a family of signaling lipids that, despite their low abundance, play essential roles in nearly all aspects of cell biology. They serve as dynamic regulators of membrane identity and intracellular signaling pathways, orchestrating processes such as cytoskeletal organization, vesicular trafficking, cell polarity, and communication between organelles. The precise spatial and temporal control of phosphoinositide metabolism is vital for cellular homeostasis. Dysregulation in these pathways has been implicated in a broad spectrum of diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, metabolic syndromes, and immune dysfunctions.

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Thanks to recent technological breakthroughs in imaging, biochemistry, genetics, and systems biology, phosphoinositide research is entering an exciting new phase, uncovering novel functions and revealing promising avenues for therapeutic intervention.
This meeting aims to showcase the latest discoveries, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and inspire future research in this rapidly evolving field.

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Three keynote lectures will be given by internationally recognized leaders in phosphoinositide research:

• Maria Antonietta De Matteis (Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, TIGEM, Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy)

• Bart Vanhaesebroeck (University College London, London, UK)

• Takehiko Sasaki (Department of Biochemical Pathophysiology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan)

• Len Stephens (Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK)​

The scientific program will include five mini-symposia, each featuring 3–4 invited speakers, covering the following thematic areas:

1. Phosphoinositides in cell trafficking and organelle communication

2. Phosphoinositide molecular species and signaling

3. Focus on class I, II and III PI3K

4. Phosphoinositides in disease and pathophysiology, therapeutic perspectives

5. Inositol phosphate

6. ​Structure / MD

To promote active participation, a poster session will offer all attendees the opportunity to present their research. In each symposium, 3–4 researchers will be selected for short oral presentations, based on the quality of the submitted abstracts.