Lymphocyte Activation and Signaling

Organizer(s): Susan K. Pierce and Gary A. Koretzky

Sponsored by Berlex Biosciences and the Director's Sponsor Fund

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Summary of Meeting:

The cells of the immune system are armed with a dizzying array of signaling receptors requiring them to integrate an enormous amount of information about their environment to mount the appropriate biologic response. Over the last several years much has been learned about the biochemical nature of the signaling cascades initiated by interactions of individual receptors with their ligands. Indeed, for many immune cell receptors the second messenger pathways have been described in exquisite detail and have been the focus of several national and international meetings. This progress presents an exciting new challenge, namely, to understand how multiple signals are integrated in the context of the entire cell to bring about the ultimate cellular response. Frameworks for understanding signaling at the level of the whole cell have been provided by important new concepts emerging in both cell and molecular biology. These concern the spatial organization of signaling receptors, the integration of signals emanating for multiple receptors and the influence of such signals on gene expression. Significantly, much of the recently gained knowledge of immune cell signaling is having a direct impact on important clinical areas including: autoimmunity, immunodeficiency, vaccines, tumor immunity, transplantation and infectious diseases. Distinguished scientists working at the cutting edge of immune cell signaling will describe their new findings and address how these issues relate to human disease. Speakers will describe the spatial organization of immune cell receptors in the plasma membrane and interactions of receptors with the cytoskeleton and molecular adaptors. The molecular nature of the integration of signals will be described for both the adaptive immune system’s antigen receptors and coreceptors as well as the innate system’s receptors. How the integrated signals ultimately affect chromatin structure and gene regulation will be described. Signaling will also be discussed in the global processes of chemotaxis, homeostasis, response to viral infection, apoptosis and immune deficiencies. Lastly, the next frontier--visualizing signaling in vivo--will be addressed. The proposed meeting will provide a view of how the initial encounter of immune cell signaling receptor with their ligands ultimately leads to the biological response be it activation, differentiation, movement, or cell death and how this knowledge is being translated to important clinical problems.

Discounted Abstract Deadline: September 16 2003

Discounted Registration Deadline: November 10 2003

We gratefully acknowledge additional support for this conference from:

Cell Signaling Technology, Inc.

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Special thanks to the following for their support of Keystone Symposia initiatives to increase participation at this meeting by scientists from underrepresented backgrounds:

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