FOCIS Symposium Will Address
Cellular and Molecular Targeting in GvHD
ASBMT will conduct a symposium on “Cellular and Molecular Targeting of Graft-versus-Host Disease” at the 6th Annual Conference of the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) on June 1 in San Francisco.
FOCIS is a federation of 19 associations in the field of clinical immunology. The ASBMT-sponsored symposium begins at 9 a.m. and is part of a pre-conference program for the June 2-6 annual meeting. More conference information including online registration is available on the FOCIS Web site.
Topics and speakers will be:
- The Role of Regulatory T cells (Tregs) in GvHD, Robert Negrin, MD, Stanford University – Biology of Tregs, characterization and role in GvHD, preclinical evaluation of their effects on GvHD pathology as well as graft-versus-tumor (GvT) effects, homing and related topics.
- NK/T Cells and GvHD, Samuel Strober, MD, Stanford University – The biology of NK/T cells, immunomodulatory properties of these cells, and preclinical evaluation of these cells in BMT models.
Proteasome Inhibition and BMT, William Murphy, PhD, University of Nevada, Reno – The effects of proteasome inhibition using bortezomib in GvHD and GvT, immunomodulatory effects of systemic proteasome inhibition, and means for circumventing potential toxicities with prolonged use.
Histone Deacetylase Inhibition and GvHD, Pavan Reddy, MD, University of Michigan – The preclinical evaluation of histone deacetylase inhibitors in BMT, immunomodulatory effects, effects on various immune cell-types, and effects on GvT.
“Speakers will address targeted suppression of the immune system so that GvHD can be prevented or treated without overt deleterious effects on immune and myeloid reconstitution after BMT,” said Dr. Murphy who is chairing the session. “Also included will be the effects of these immunomodulatory approaches on normal immune responses, mechanisms of action, biology of cell-types affected, potential toxicities, and anti-tumor effects when BMT is used in cancer therapy.
The latest data looking at cellular targeting using Tregs and NK/T cells as well as molecular targeting using proteasome inhibition and use of histone deacetlyase inhibitors will be discussed.
“Clinicians and investigators interested in autoimmunity, transplantation, imaging, immune monitoring and general immunology will find this symposium of interest, Dr. Murphy said. "Preclinical data as well as summation of clinical data will be presented.”
More than 1,500 attended last year’s FOCIS annual conference. Member organizations in the FOCIS federation are:
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
American College of Rheumatology
American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation
American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics
American Society of Transplantation
American Uveitis Society
American Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple
Sclerosis
Association of Medical Laboratory Immunologists
Clinical Immunology Society
Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America
Immunology of Diabetes Society
International Complement Society
International Cytokine Society
International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research
International Society of Neuroimmunology
International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer
Society for Investigative Dermatology
Society for Mucosal Immunology
The Transplantation Society