The International Pediatric Transplant Association (IPTA) will welcome leaders in the field of pediatric transplantation to present at the 5th Congress of the IPTA, being held April 18 – 21, 2009 in Istanbul, Turkey. The Congress is a critical component in transplantation education, and the only event concentrating solely on the clinical and research aspects of pediatric solid organ, tissue, and bone marrow/stem cell transplantation.

Transplant professionals from around the world are expected to attend, looking to take advantage of the valuable information and networking opportunities presented at the meeting. The Congress will feature an outstanding line-up of plenary speakers addressing issues of common interest to the entire pediatric transplant community, including immunosuppression, ethical issues, facilitating clinical trials, treatment of long term post-transplant complications, and more.

A record number of abstracts have been submitted this year, and cutting edge scientific and clinical information will also be presented in the form of state-of-the-art presentations, interactive workshops, symposia, debates, and poster presentations.

Highlights of the Congress include a post-graduate course on quality of life and vaccines and viruses in transplant recipients; a symposium on how to improve the outcomes of pediatric transplantation; and plenary sessions on non-adherence, registry reports, organ allocation, chronic allograft dysfunction/prevalence/treatment/outcomes, and ethical issues. A complete schedule of the presentations can be accessed on the Congress Web site, iptaonline/5thcongress.

The International Pediatric Transplant Association (IPTA) is a professional organization of individuals in the field of pediatric transplantation. The purpose of the association is to advance the science and practice of pediatric transplantation worldwide in order to improve the health of all children who require such treatment. The association is dedicated to promoting technical and scientific advances in pediatric transplantation and advocating for the rights of all children who need transplantation.

For more information on IPTA and to register for the Congress, please visit iptaonline.

International Pediatric Transplant Association