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GUEST
EDITORIAL
by Michal Karasek & Marek Pawlikowski
This
issue contains the papers presented during the pineal part of
the International Conference on "Thymus and Pineal Gland
in Neuroimmunoendocrinology" held in Swieradow Zdroj, Poland
on October 22–24,
1998. The papers presented during the thymus part will be published
in the International Journal of Thymology.
The Conference, organized by Sections
of Neuroendocrinology and Experimental Endocrinology together
with the Association of Therapy with Thymic Preparations, was
dedicated to the memory of Prof. Dr. Jeremi Czaplicki. Jeremi
Czaplicki was born on July 3, 1930. He graduated from the Medical
Faculty, Silesian School of Medicine, in 1954. His doctoral
thesis was accepted in 1958, and he was awarded a degree of
"doctor habilitatus" in 1970. In 1985 Jeremi Czaplicki
was nominated for professor of medical sciences. As a medical
student he began his scientific work in the Department of Histology
and Embryology. Since 1962, he directed a Laboratory of Transplantology
affiliated with the Department of Pathological Anatomy, and
later with the Department of Biology. In 1970, Jeremi Czaplicki
organized the Department of Biology and Genetics at the Faculty
of Pharmacy. He was a head of this Department until the end
of his life. Prof. Czaplicki was in charge of several important
functions at his Alma Mater; namely, he was a Dean of the Faculty
of Pharmacy (1978–1982) and Pro-Rector (Vice-President)
of the Silesian Medical University.
The scientific activity of Prof. Czaplicki
mainly concerned the thymus. He was one of the pioneers of the
thymus research in Poland, and he was the co-editor of the International
Journal of Thymology. Together with his team Prof. Czaplicki
discovered several previously unknown biological effects of
embryonal and fetal thymus extracts, and he was a pioneer of
the therapeutical applications of thymic preparations, among
others in transplantology, severe burns, cerebral palsy, and
Down’s syndrome.
Prof. Czaplicki was the initiator of
this Conference, now dedicated to his memory, and took part
in the works of the Scientific Committee until his premature
death on January 8, 1997.
Over 80 scientists from 8 countries,
including Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
and USA, participated in the Conference. The Conference started
with two general lectures: one was delivered by Prof. P. Fedor-Freybergh
which is presented herein and the second was delivered by Prof.
M. P. Dabrowski which will be published together with papers
on the thymus. The Conference was divided into two parts. In
the first, devoted to the thymus, 3 plenary lectures and 10
short communication were presented. In the second, devoted to
the pineal gland 10 plenary lectures and 6 short communications
were presented. The majority of these presentations are published
in this issue, whereas some of them will be published in the
next issue.
Meetings such as the one in Swieradow
Zdroj are only possible due to generous support by various organizations.
The organizers are very grateful to the pharmaceutical company
JELFA S.A. (Jelenia Gora) and KGHM Polska Miedz S.A. (Lubin)
for their support. Finally, we are indebted to the members of
the Local Organizing Committee, especially to the Chairman,
Mr. Zdzislaw Kleski, for their tireless input in making this
conference a success.
Guest
Editors:
Prof. Dr. Michal Karasek, Lodz, Poland
Prof. Dr. Marek Pawlikowski, Lodz, Poland
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