Welcome letterfrom Professor G. Flemström

The mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract provides a dynamic barrier between the host, allowing the passage of water and certain ions and molecules into the body while restricting the entry of other contents of the lumen. This maintenance of barrier function is not so much an anatomical barrier but a series of consecutive defense mechanisms, each of them finely regulated by neurohumoral control and cellular signaling. In imbalance between mucosal defense mechanisms and aggressive factors may result ulcer in gastric and intestinal ulcerative disease. It should further be noted that functional gastrointestinal disorders are the most prevalent gastrointestinal diseases of the Western hemisphere, affecting up to 20% of the population. The basic pathology of these diseases is not known and present therapy is poor.

A combination of approaches is a prerequisite for understanding of the integrated function of the gastrointestinal mucosa and for development of therapy. The aim of this congress is to present and combine new and approaches in the field. This may be particularly important in the training of younger scientists.

Sincerely

Professor G. Flemström
Dept. of Neuroscience, Division of Physiology, Uppsala Univ., BMC, Sweden