The blood-brain barrier and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier tightly regulate the exchange of compounds between the blood and the central nervous system. Deregulated barriers are a common feature in a wide variety of neurological diseases. The aim of the International Symposium on Signal Transduction at the Blood-Brain Barriers is, therefore, to gather the scientific community to discuss all aspects of barrier signaling in health and disease.

The idea of the annual International Symposium on Signal Transduction at the Blood-Brain Barriers was introduced by German scientists Dr. Ingolf Blasig and Dr. Reiner Haseloff, who organized a first meeting in 1997 in Potsdam (Germany). Thereafter, meetings have been held with great success in Berlin (Germany 1998), Bogensee (Germany 1999), Potsdam Germany 2000 and 2001), Cambridge (United Kingdom 2002), Szeged (Hungary 2003), Potsdam (Germany 2004), Munster (Germany 2005), Salzburg (Austria 2006), Potsdam (Germany 2007), Amsterdam (Netherlands 2008), London (United Kingdom 2009), Zurich (Switzerland 2010), Istanbul (Turkey 2010), Potsdam (Germany 2012), Sumeg (Hungary 2013), Dublin (Ireland 2014), Paris (France 2015) and Copenhagen (Denmark 2016).

The International Symposium on Signal Transduction at the Blood-Brain Barriers has become a traditional platform, gathering scientists in academia and industry from all over the world. Each year, the attendees have a chance to discuss the latest developments in brain barriers research, fasten old and establish new collaborations. The meeting gives young scientists and PhD students an opportunity to present their work to the scientific community in short oral presentations selected from submitted abstracts. The discussions during poster sessions and conference social events make the meeting unforgettable each year.

The upcoming 20th anniversary International Symposium on Signal Transduction at the Blood-Brain Barriers will be held September 13th to 15th, 2017 in Kraków, Poland.