The Pathogen-Host Standoff: Persistent and Latent Infection joint with Immune Evasion Organizer(s): JoAnne L. Flynn and Edward S. Mocarski Jr. Date: March 25 - 30, 2004 Location: Taos Convention Center (meeting only), Taos, NM, USAThe goals for this meeting include: - ·Understanding common themes in latent microbial infections, regardless of whether the microbe is a virus, bacterium, parasite, worm, or fungus. - Addressing questions of memory during chronic or latent infection and contrast that with memory in acute infection (important in design of vaccine or treatment strategies). - Understanding common immune mechanisms important in controlling or eliminating latent or persistent infections - ·Identifying mechanisms by which pathogens escape detection or elimination by the immune system, and design strategies to circumvent these pathogens (vaccine or drug development). - Bringing together scientists from different fields to think about the concepts of latency and persistence, and share ideas from different fields. Major and pivotal problems in the field to be addressed include: - How to effectively enhance an immune response to eliminate an organism that has evolved to be persistent in the host. - Adapting the information about the immune response to the setting of chronic or latent infections. - Identifying the persistent or latent state of the microbe, and determining the genetic components that contribute to latency. Discounted Abstract Deadline: November 24 2003 Discounted Registration Deadline: January 26 2004 |