Conference to discuss frontline of immunological research, its clinical application

Chaired by: Åke Lernmark - Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University and CRC, Lund, SE; Kazuo Sugamura - President of Miyagi Cancer Center Research Institute, JP;  Hajime Karasuyama - Department of Immune Regulation, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School, JP

The immune system is evolved to protect our body against a variety of infectious agents which can cause serious and often fatal diseases. We now appreciate that the immune system is also involved in surveillance of malignant transformation of normal cells that constitute our body, as well as rejection of transplanted organs. Dysregulation of immune responses results in unwanted outcomes such as allergy, autoimmunity and other inflammatory disorders. Modern immunology using newly developed technology, including establishment of monoclonal antibodies, long-term cell culture systems, recombinant DNA/RNA techniques, creation of genetically engineered (transgenic and knock-out) mice and rats, has greatly advanced our understanding of basic mechanisms underlying immune responses in a variety of physiological and pathological settings. Of note, some of such critical findings in laboratory animals are now clinically applied: monoclonal antibodies specific to proinflammatory cytokines and cell surface signaling molecules or their receptors are successfully used to treat human disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

This conference is intended to provide academic environment in which young researchers readily meet distinguished front-runners in the field of basic and clinical immunology to discuss the frontline of immunological research and its clinical application. We believe this helps to construct a new collaborative network of young and senior researchers with different backgrounds and interests, and promote closer interaction between the bench and the clinic.

Provisional list of invited speakers:

Jean-François Bach TBC - INSERM, Hôpital Necker, FR - Meinrad Busslinger TBC - IMP, AT - Sidonia Fagarasan - RCAI-RIKEN, JP - Marc Feldmann TBC - Kennedy Inst. of Rheumatology, Imperial College London, UK - Yoshinori Fukui - MiB, Kyushu U., JP -Toshio Hirano - Graduate Sch. of Medicine, Osaka U., JP - Klas Kärre TBC - MTC, Karolinska Inst., SE - Tadamitsu Kishimoto - Graduate Sch. of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka U., JP - Hiroshi Kiyono - IMS, Tokyo U., JP - Antonio Lanzavecchia TBC - IRB Bellinzona, CH - Bernard Malissen TBC - CIML, FR - Toshiaki Ohteki - Tokyo Medical and Dental U. Graduate Sch., JP - Fiona Powrie TBC - Sir William Dunn Sch. of Pathology, Oxford U., UK - Shimon Sakaguchi - Inst. for Medical Sciences, Kyoto U./ WPI iFReC, Osaka U., JP - Yousuke Takahama - IGR, Tokushima U., JP - Kiyoshi Takeda - Graduate Sch. of Medicine, Osaka U., JP - Rudolf Valenta TBC - MUW, Vienna U., AT - Herman Waldmann TBC - Sir William Dunn Sch. of Pathology, Oxford U., UK - Maria Yazdanbakhsh TBC - LUMC Leiden, NL

Fees and grants:
There is no fee for this conference. All successful applicants will be fully funded for accommodation and travel.
Eligibility: the applicant must 1. be a young researcher affiliated to a university or a research institute in Japan or Europe; 2. be doing outstanding and innovative work in his/her fields; 3. either have obtained a doctoral degree within 10 years prior to the conference or be scheduled to obtain a doctoral degree no later than 18 months after the conference.

Full conference programme accessible online from www.esf.org/conferences/11362.

Closing date for applications: 5 November 2010.