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Chairman of the Board of the European Late Effects Project Group (EULEP)

On behalf of the European Late Effects Project Group (EULEP), I welcome the delegates to the Advanced Workshop on "Radiation-induced Multi-Organ Involvement and Failure: a challenge for pathogenetic, diagnostic and therapeutic approach and research". This Workshop is being held at Schloss Reisensburg at the Science Conference Center of the University of Ulm, which was developed as a comprehensive conference centre over the last 30 years.

The initial ideas behind the concept of EULEP were initially discussed in Rome in the late 1960s. In the very early 1970s, with the forethought of Professor Fliedner and others like him, the "European Late Effects Project Group" was formed, with financial support from the European Community as part of the EURATOM treaty. The use of the word "project" was very significant, since the objective was to form a Multi-Centre University Network for Research, which now has approximately 30 collaborating member laboratories.

The activities of EULEP have varied over the years, to a major extent to fit in with the changing requirements of the European Union (EU). However, a thread throughout has been the study of radiation effects in organs and tissues, which is the theme of this Workshop. For many years I myself had been involved with collaborative studies on central nervous system (CNS) late effects with colleagues from The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. These studies certainly related to an important discussion question in a session at this Workshop, "Is there a chance to identify a unified pathogenetic concept, characterising the development of multi-organ involvement and eventual failure"?

In relation to late effects in man, EULEP did for a number of years collaborate with the European Bone Marrow Transplant Group (EBMT). At present EULEP has five Task Groups, which help to coordinate EU-funded projects with non-EU-funded projects as a radiobiological network. These include: (1) Carcinogenesis and DNA damage; (2) Radiation risk assessment; (3) Standardisation of dosimetry; (4) Biological effects and dosimetry of internal emitters; and (5) Biological effects and treatment of tissues and organs after accidental overexposure.

EULEP was also involved in the establishment of: (1) a radiobiological archive of past experiments with large numbers of animals; (2) a pathology database, including a teaching website; and (3) a Radiation Science Newsletter in association with a sister organisation, EURADOS.

At this occasion, I would like to refer to one of the initial meetings at Schloss Reisensburg, more than 30 years ago. On that occasion, I was picked up from the airport by a very youthful Ted Fliedner. At that time it was very evident that Ted had a great quest for knowledge and this youthful quest for knowledge has remained within all these years.

On behalf of EULEP I would like to thank him for his forethought in setting up this opportune Advanced Workshop. Thanks are also due to the German Armed Forces, who are the major sponsor of this important Workshop. I would like to thank Dr Viktor Meineke and to convey the gratitude of the scientific community with respect to the active support of the German Armed Forces.

In addition, on behalf of all the delegates, I also wish to extend a special appreciation to Colette Steinwachs, personal assistant to Professor Fliedner, and the staff of Schloss Reisensburg for all their help with the local organisation.

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