Third International Conference on Biotherapy

[Michael Mumcuoglu]

THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIOTHERAPY

            MA=92ALE HACHAMISHA CONGRESS CENTER, JERUSALEM, ISRAEL, MAY
24-27, 1998

                                      UNDER THE AUSPICES OF:
                             THE INTERNATIONAL BIOTHERAPY SOCIETY
                                                AND
           THE S. F. KUVIN CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF INFECTIOUS AND
TROPICAL DISEASES
                                  DEPARTMENT OF PARASITOLOGY
                   HADASSAH MEDICAL SCHOOL-HEBREW UNIVERSITY JERUSALEM
                                       FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT

 THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIOTHERAPY

Dear Colleague:
On behalf of the International Biotherapy Society, I am pleased to
invite you to the Third International Conference on
Biotherapy. The Conference will be held in Jerusalem, on May 24-27,
1988, at the Conference Center of Ma=92ale
Hachamisha. Located in the outskirts of Jerusalem, in a hillside setting
of extraordinary beauty, Ma=92ale Hachamisha is one of
the early established kibbutzim in Israel.
The first two international conferences held in Porthcawl, South Wales,
UK in 1995 and 1996 under the name First and
Second World Conference on Biosurgery, were extremely successful, and we
plan to continue the tradition established there
for the exchange of information and ideas pertaining to the treatment of
human diseases  using living invertebrates such as fly
maggots, leeches and bees.
Maggot therapy, the treatment of suppurative skin infections with the
larvae of calliphorid flies, was first introduced by
William Baer in 1929 and used extensively during the 30's and 40's.  The
method was abandoned with the commercial
introduction of antibiotics. The renewed use of maggot therapy since the
mid 80's made a tremendous leap forward and
during the last years over 160 hospitals in Great Britain, USA and
Israel have used this method for the treatment of
intractable wounds.
Medicinal leeches were used for bloodletting, and have been applied to
congested or inflamed parts of the human body for
over 2,000 years. Today leeches are used in plastic surgery, in the
treatment of avulsed injuries or replanted digits and
auricles in which arterial revascularization were performed but venous
repairs were limited. They are also used in the
treatment of various pathological states and diseases such as
inflammation, peripheral venous and arterial diseases.
Bee venom therapy has been known for more than twelve centuries.
Currently, this method is being used extensively in
China, Korea, Romania, Bulgaria and Russia. In the United States about
4,000 people suffering from multiple sclerosis have
been treated by this method.
In the Third International Conference on Biotherapy the clinical aspects
of treatment with these organisms, as well as the
scientific aspects of the healing effects will be discussed. The
Conference will consist of oral and poster presentations.
Enclosed please find a copy of the first announcement of this
Conference. We would be very pleased if you could help us
draw the attention of every physician and scientist who might be
interested in this Conference.

Yours Sincerely
In the Name of the Organizing Committee

Dr. Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu
President




ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:
Dr. Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu, Israel (President)
Prof. Rachel Galun, Israel
Prof. Avshalom Mizrahi, Israel
Prof. Meir Rigbi, Israel

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE:
Dr. George Cherry, UK
Dr. John Church, UK
Dr. Ronald Sherman, USA
Dr. Steve Thomas, UK

ADVISORY BOARD:
Prof. Amiram Eldor, Israel
Prof. Arieh   Ingber, Israel
Prof.   Itamar    Raz, Israel
Prof.   Dan   Spira,   Israel

COOPERATING ORGANIZATIONS:
Israel  Society for Dermatology
Israeli    Diabetic     Association
Israel  Society  for Parasitology
Israel   Society  for Entomology


GENERAL INFORMATION

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM
The program will highlight the most recent and exciting developments in
the fields of maggot therapy, leech therapy and bee
venom therapy. The main subjects of the conference will be the use of:
- Fly  maggots for the treatment of wounds, i.e., in diabetic feet and
pressure ulcers.
- Medicinal leeches for plastic surgery and peripheral venous and
arterial diseases.
- Bee venom therapy for chronic diseases such as arthritis, rheumatism
and multiple sclerosis.
    Both clinical and scientific aspects will be discussed.
JERUSALEM
    Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is today a flourishing city of
half a million inhabitants. Situated high in the Judean Hills, it
overlooks the Judean Desert, the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea to the
east, and the Mediterranean coastal plain to the west.
Its three thousand year history is reflected in the many ancient sites,
archeological remains and historic buildings found
throughout the city.
VENUE
    The Conference will be held at the Ma=92ale Hachamisha Kibbutz
Congress Center located in the Judean Hills near
Jerusalem. Hotel guests can enjoy, free of charge, the outdoor and
indoor swimming pools, wet and dry saunas and jacuzzi.
There are tennis courts, treatment and massage rooms, aerobic dancing
and exercise studios on the premises, and  there is a
regular bus service to the Jerusalem central  bus station.

ACCOMMODATION (in US $)
    Rooms can be booked in the hotel of the Ma'ale Hachamisha Congress
Center on a half-board or full-board basis.
                                                    Full-board
Half-board
Single bed room                                118          108
Double bed room (per person)           74             64

REGISTRATION* (in US $)
                                                 Payment before
Payment   after
                                                 March 31, 1998
March 31, 1998
Participant
250                       300
Accompanying person                       150                       200

*Payment in Israeli currency is subject to VAT

    Registration fees for participants cover participation in all
conference sessions, conference kit, refreshments during
breaks, and all social activities including the get-together party, gala
dinner and the half-day tour of Jerusalem.
Registration fees for accompanying persons cover participation in the
get-together party, gala dinner and the half-day tour of
Jerusalem.
LANGUAGE
    The Conference will be conducted in English
VISAS
       Participants from most countries do not require entry visas. The
first and second announcement constitute an official
invitation to participate in the Conference. Upon request the President
will be ready to send an official letter of invitation to
scientists who wish to attend but are not invited speakers, it being
understood that the invitation is intended to help potential
attendees raise travel funds or obtain a visa.  This letter of
invitation is not a commitment on the part of the Conference to
provide any financial support.
CLOTHING
    Informal for all occasions with the exception of the gala evening.
The weather will be warm enough for summer clothes
during the day. A light sweater or jacket is recommended for cool
evenings.
ABSTRACTS
    All abstracts will be distributed at the conference. The deadline
for receipt of abstracts is December 31, 1997.
SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT
    The second announcement will be sent out at the beginning of 1998
TOURS AND VISITS
    During the Conference there will be a half-day tour of Jerusalem. A
list of pre- and post-congress tours will be sent with
the second announcement. Social events will include a get-together party
on May 24, and a gala evening on May 26, 1998.
INTERNET LINK
    You can visit and download the intent form from our URL page at:
http://www.md.huji.ac.il/conf


                        THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIOTHERAPY
                                JERUSALEM, ISRAEL, MAY 24-27, 1998
                                         NOTICE OF INTENT

Please type or write in CAPITAL LETTERS and send to:

Dr. Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu
Department of Parasitology
Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School
P.O.Box 12271, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
Tel.: 972 2 675-8093, Fax.: 972 2 675-7425, E-mail:kostam at cc.huji.ac.il


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[] Please send me the Second Announcement
[] I intend to participate in the Conference
    I plan to attend sessions on:
[] Maggot therapy
[] Leech therapy
[] Bee venom therapy
[] I wound like to present a paper / poster
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[] Names and addresses of other persons who would be interested in the
Conference:
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