Dear participants:
It is a great pleasure and honor to invite you to participate in the Second International Symposium on Mechanobiology (ISMB 2014), which will be held in Okayama, Japan, on May 20–23, 2014. The International Symposium on Mechanobiology was established after the success of the First International Symposium on Mechanobiology in Shanghai-Hangzhou on November 4–8, 2011. Mechanical s
timuli are considerably important in many physiological processes, including hearing, respiration, and cardiovascular systems. These mechanical stimuli are closely related to cell proliferation and differentiation, and tissue degeneration and development. The presence of some defects in the mechanotransduction system of tissues and organs leads to pathological conditions, such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, and arrhythmia. Therefore, an understanding of the mechanisms of these diseases gained through mechanomedicine may be a powerful tool for the development of treatments of these diseases, thereby indicating great impacts on medicine. Okayama, the capital of Okayama Prefecture, is an important transportation hub, as it is located where the Sanyo Shinkansen (the Japanese Bullet train) meets with the only rail connection to Shikoku. The city developed as a castle town during the Edo period (1603–1867) and became a significant regional power. Okayama is also famous for the Korakuen Garden, which is ranked as one of the three best landscape gardens in Japan, and the Okayama Castle is located just across from the garden. We look forward to meeting you in Okayama, 2014. Keiji Naruse
President, ISMB2014