Dear ASGCT Members and Colleagues:

The 12th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy marked the beginning of a new and promising initiative for the Society. On the final day of the Annual Meeting, the name of the Society officially changed to the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT). The change was ratified by you, our membership, and was made to reflect the significant number of cell therapists who already participate in the Annual Meeting and publish in our Journal, Molecular Therapy.

To highlight the name change and the growing relationship between gene and cell therapy, the 12th Annual Meeting featured symposia on topics ranging from cancer cell therapy to gene and cell therapy for brain injury. The abstract categories were also expanded to explicitly include cell therapies.

As we prepare to plan for the 2010 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, May 19 - May 23, the ASGCT Board of Directors and Program Committee are committed to preparing a dynamic and inclusive program that you won't want to miss!

Sincerely,

Ken Cornetta, MD
ASGCT President