3^rd International
Symposium

Focus 2003:
Stroke and Endogenous
Stem Cells

The 3rd International Conference on Neuroprotection and Neurorepair, was hold in Magdeburg on May 7-10, 2003. Despite the many international problems, 240 colleagues attended our medium sized conference, listened to an attractive programme with expert speakers and had fruitful discussions and exchange of ideas. Our meeting was focused primarily on the connection between neuroprotection based on state-of-the-art knowledge concerning mechanisms of degeneration and the inherent potential of the nervous system to undergo repair. At the end of the meeting we had a lively round table discussion on the potential of both endogenous and exogenous stem cells.

For those of you who came to Magdeburg for the first time, it was a good oportunity to meet new friends and to see our renowned Neuroscience Center and the old city of Magdeburg, the home to Otto the Great, the first German Kaiser, and also to the scientist Otto von Guericke. Some of us had a wonderful day on a post-meeting sightseeing tour to the Harz and Kyffhäuser mountains and to the great panorama picture by Werner Tübke.

We received several commendation and were already persuaded by colleagues to plan the next congress in 2 years time. So we look forward to having you here again for our 4th International Conference on Neuroprotection and Neurorepair in May 2006.

On behalf of the organizing committee,