Chronic Viral and Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy

Following its tradition of promoting novel areas of scienti?c discourse the Ernst Schering Research Foundation (ESRF) hosted this workshop on chronic viral and in?ammatory cardiomyopathy. In late October 2004 scientists from Canada Germany the Georgian Republic Great Britain Italy Japan the Netherlands Israel Sweden and the United States ga- ered in Berlin to discuss their concepts hypotheses and latest ?ndings on myocarditis and cardiomyopathy. This expert meeting was held in cooperation with the German - search Foundation which in the same year had supported transregional collaborative research activities entitled In?ammatory Cardiomyo- thy - Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapy. Organizing the workshop our efforts strove to render tighter the network between the distinct disciplines involved in cardiomyopathy - search building bridges between its molecular pathogenetic diagnostic and therapeutic determinants. It all began as a story of a neighborhood and we would like to express our hope that this long-term project which will require much and - tensive cooperative work among the participants will evolve to become a story of a good neighborhood.