This volume records the proceedings of an International Symposium on The Structure and Function of Gangliosides, held at Le Bischenberg, Alsace, France, in April 23-27, 1979. The meeting was convened to get a comprehensive view of the immense activity that had occurred in the field since the previous conference on gangliosides held at Mont Sainte-Odile, ~lsace, France, in April 1973. At a conference on Enzymes of Lipid Metabolism held at the same place in April, 1977, several of the participants from the first ganglioside conference in 1973 met again. All previous participants agreed that the first meeting with its many frank and stimulating lectures, round tables and informal discussions had been of tremendous importance for the activity in the field and led to many personal contacts and a warm friendship among the ganglioside researchers. The success of the first meeting must be ascribed largely to one single man, PAUL MANDEL. Therefore, we decided to dedicate the next ganglioside conference to hirn and I was given the privilege to arrange the meeting together with him and staff members at Centre de Neurochirnie, Strasbourg. The Symposium on The Structure and Function of Gangliosides was arranged to honour PAUL MANDEL for his unique and never failing efforts to promote and strengthen international col laboration in all fields of neurochemistry.

This volume contains the proceedings of the symposium on "Ganglioside Structure, Function and Biomedical Potential" which was held at Parksville, Vancouver Island, B. C. , Canada on July 6-10, 1983. The symposium was organized ao a satellite to the ninth meeting of the International Society for Neurochemistry, held immediately afterward in Vancouver City, B. C. Close to 50 speakers from 9 countries presented papers on a wide range of topics on the ganglioside theme. These encompassed the many aspects of basic research that have evolved over the past half-century, as well as some newer topics relating to the biomedical potential of gangliosides as therapeutic agents. One of the purposes of the meeting was to encourage dialogue between investigators in these seemingly diverse areas in the hope that each would come away with fresh perspective toward his own work. Judging from the many spirited, informed discussions that took place throughout the four day meeting, this goal was achieved. The charm and beauty of Vancouver Island undoubtedly contributed to the congenial atmosphere which quickly developed among the 120 or so participants. Drawn from 13 countries of Europe (East and West), America (North and South), Asia and the Middle East, this gathering reflected the broad geographical scale on which ganglioside research is now conducted. That this field is still in its "logarithmic" stage of growth is indicated by the increasing number of citations appearing each year in the various abstracts (e. g. fig. next page).

Sugar chains (glycans) are often attached to proteins and lipids and have multiple roles in the organization and function of all organisms. "Essentials of Glycobiology" describes their biogenesis and function and offers a useful gateway to the understanding of glycans.

This book reviews recent progress in understanding of the signaling and biochemistry of GM3 ganglioside in eukaryotic cells. GM3 is the simplest of the gangliosides and the precursor of other gangliosides. It is expressed in the outer leaflet of plasma cell membranes and has roles in the recognition, interaction, binding, adhesion, and motility of cells. In addition, GM3 has been documented to have functional roles in cell migration, proliferation, senescence, and apoptosis. The full range of topics of interest are addressed in the book. The early chapters discuss the synthesis of GM3, its molecular localization in cells, and its basic function as an interacting molecule. The ways in which GM3 exerts its effects via various growth factor receptors are fully explored. Current knowledge of the part played by GM3 in health and disease is discussed in depth. For example, its roles in preventing inflammation, inhibiting tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth, and suppressing arthritis are highlighted, and attention drawn to the significance of GM3 as a driver of impaired wound healing in diabetics. The book will be of interest to all who want a comprehensive update on research in this field.