The 5th Global Alpha-1 Patient Congress, April 12-19, 2015 in Barga, Italy
Author
Published in Alpha1 Journal 01/2015
As announced in a previous issue of the journal, an international Alpha1 group has been formed with the help of John Walsh (USA). The group's goal is to coordinate activities in different countries, build a network, and learn from best practices.
The international congress for patient organizations and scientists from around the world takes place every two years. It's interesting to hear what's happening in other countries and what we can learn.
In addition to the patient meeting, the three-day meeting of scientists took place. And since we had my husband, Roland Wilkens, attend, we can report that an important topic was the early detection of lung degeneration. With the help of biomarkers and by measuring lung density, lung damage can be detected at an early stage. But the liver is also a focus of research. In short: there are still new developments. Certainly, it doesn't happen quickly, but progress is being made. We found that very reassuring.
However, one thing must always be said: A lively exchange between patients from all over the world cannot occur due to language barriers.
