Throughout the centuries, pathology has continuously integrated new tools and techniques into the established armamentarium for the study of disease. For every historical step taken, a balance between classical and new methods has been reached. No single approach has been neglected to the benefit of the other. The too often held misconception that electron microscopy has become less and less useful is refuted by the facts. There is a wealth of information on the fine structural features of disease still waiting to be revealed, and the most prominent journals in basic and translational biomedical research are loaded with papers that prove it. Conversely, it is fitting that Ultrastructural Pathology, originally devoted mostly to electron microscopy, has incorporated the contributions of molecular and cell biology to the understanding of pathologic processes. In this issue of Ultrastructural Pathology, three papers are included that serve this purpose. They are a sampling of the contents from a recent EuroCellPath course held in Spain, and they nicely exemplify different applications of current molecular methods in pathology.
Today, pathologists must have a good working knowledge not only of the morphological and clinical features of the diseases they deal with, but also of their cellular and molecular pathogenesis. To accomplish these goals, the European Society of Pathology instituted the EuroCellPath Courses in 1989. Since then fourteen other courses have been held throughout Europe. The XIV EuroCellPath Course was held in the city of Girona (Catalonia, Spain), with the leitmotiv of “The Impact of Genomics and Proteomics in Pathology”. It was held under the historical vaults of the Mercè's Convent Auditorium in May, 2004. With the chairmanship of Fred Bosman and Antonio Cardesa, the faculty included guest speakers from the United States and Canada, as well as over 40 prominent speakers and teachers from several European countries. They gathered together, along with a young audience of pathologists and trainees in pathology and research, to exchange knowledge and ideas concerning the values and limitations of the application of genomic and proteomic techniques in pathology.
The Course was divided into six main sections: (1) DNA and CGH Arrays, (2) Tissue Microarrays, (3) Epigenetics, (4) Application of High Throughput Methods in Paraffin-embedded Tissues and Laser Microdissection, (5) Proteomics, and (6) Bioinformatic Tools. The basic principles, methods, and limitations of these techniques were reviewed, along with their specific applications to selected tumors (breast, lymph node, liver, stomach, prostate, and urinary bladder) and nonneoplastic diseases (kidney). All the sessions were highly informative and up-to-date and were very well received by the audience. The need for integration of these new fields into pathology, the process of tumor marker discovery from the early steps to practical application, and the impact of these techniques on patient care were addressed, respectively, in the special lectures by Carlos Cordón-Cardo, Wei Zhang, and Raimon Colomer. At the end of the Course, practical and strategic issues regarding the application of genomics and proteomics in pathology were also discussed in a very lively round session, chaired by Antonio Cardesa, along with Fred Bosman, Pierre Bedossa, Enrique de Álava, and Santiago Ramón y Cajal. Scientific and social interaction during the main sessions, in several platform and poster sessions, as well as in the social gatherings included in the program contributed to the success of the Course and to the high degree of overall satisfaction of the participants.
The European Society of Pathology, the Associació Catalana d'Anatomia Patològica, the Girona City Hall, the University of Girona, the Josep Trueta Foundation, the Catalan Institute of Oncology in Girona, and the Municipal Institute of Health Care in Barcelona were instrumental in making the Course possible. Particularly relevant were the decisive contributions of Lluis Bernadó, as a member of the local organization, and Teresa Ribalta as the superb Secretary of the Local Organization and Programme Committee.
Last year, the XV EuroCellPath Course was held in Montebello, Norway, and it dealt with the metastatic process. A new and exciting EuroCellPath course is planned for this year in Les Diablerets, Switzerland, under the guidance of Fred Bosman. Earlier EuroCellPath courses featured a high content of information on the ultrastructural basis of disease and have progressively included the results of the most advanced research in pathology. With the foundations of pathology firmly established in morphology, i.e., light and electron microscopy, the journey to overcome new frontiers in the knowledge and treatment of disease through the use of all the available tools, including high throughput molecular methods, will be a safer and more fruitful enterprise.