Immunology

Two travel grant deadlines are approching:

November 15, 2015 - 12th DGfI Spring School, February 28 - March 4, 2016December 1, 2015 - 2016 FOCIS Advanced Course in Basic & Clinical Immunology

NOTE: Students from all countries are welcome to apply - however, only those from developing countries are eligible for IUIS funding.

12th Spring School on Immunology, February 28th to March 4th, 2016
Ettal, Bavaria, Germany
German Society for Immunology

The IUIS Education (EDU) and the German Society for Immunology (DGfI) Committees are proud to announce the co-sponsoring of 3 travel awards for applicants from the developing countries.

The stipend covers:

Travel costs of up to 2000 USD (covered by the IUIS)Registration and accommodation for the duration of the school (covered by the DGfI)Any other expenses will be the responsibility of the student.

To qualify: the students must show signs of future leadership. Our mission is to identify tomorrow´s teachers of Immunology and leaders in their field in their home country.

Application:
Please download the application form.
Send to: Ulrike Meltzer ( mail@dgfi.org, NOT springschool@drfz.de as stated on the website) and
clearly state in your email that you are applying for the IUIS-DGfI scholarships.

DEADLINE:  November 15, 2015

Every year in spring the German Society for Immunology (DGfI) hosts the ‘Spring School on
Immunology’ in Ettal, Bavaria. In the intimate setting of an old cloister, 60 doctoral students and 25 lecturers, experts in their field, come together to discuss the latest developments in Immunology.

This School is part of the DGfI´s Academy for Immunology and offers advanced training for students who already have good knowledge of Immunology. The School thus primarily addresses doctoral students in the later stages of their PhD training.

The School is based on plenary lectures reviewing the themes of the School while also offering ample time for discussions. Because of the active participation in the sessions and the intense exchange, the students will have excellent opportunities for networking early on in their career.

Topics:
Innate Immunity
Adaptive Immunity
Cutting Edge: Basics & Perspectives
Tumor/Allergy/Autoimmunity
Infection/Vaccination
Career Planning/Publishing

FOR YOUNG IMMUNOLOGISTS FROM THE DEVELOPING WORLD

The Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) announces the 2016 FOCIS Advanced Course in Basic & Clinical Immunology at the Hotel Valley Ho, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, February 3-6, 2016. Course Directors: Drs Shiv Pillair and Jane Buckner.

The IUIS Education (EDU) and Gender & Equality Career Development (GEC) Committees in collaboration with FOCISwill co-sponsor 4 trainees from the developing world to attend this course. IUIS will pay for a travel bursary of $2,000 US maximum, while FOCIS will pay for registration, 4-night accommodation and meals during the conference. Additional expenses will be the responsibility of the student.

This initiative has been very successful in the last 7 years and students really appreciated. The candidates should have sufficient scientific background and comprehension of English to benefit maximally from the Advanced Course. Prominent speakers will lecture on topics in cellular and molecular immunology, including innate immunity, B & T cells, and cytokines. Special sessions will cover new advances in clinical immunology and the molecular and genetic basis of immune-mediated diseases. There will be ample opportunity for attendees to interact with the faculty inside and outside the lecture room. The target audience includes clinical fellows in disciplines related to immunology (such as rheumatology, allergy, infectious disease, oncology and transplantation) and graduate students and fellows doing basic research with an emphasis on human disease.

Go to the following website to find out more about the course, schedule, speakers, and presentation titles.http://www.focisnet.org

The IUIS Education Committee will do the selection of candidates for the 4 awards.

Do not register on line for this course, if you are applying for the IUIS/ FOCIS support. A brief CV, a letter outlining how you would benefit from this course and a letter of reference from a professor or mentor must be sent by email to: Dr Michelle Letarte, Chair of the IUIS Education Committee < michelle.letarte@sickkids.ca>

DEADLINE: December 1, 2015, in order to allow time for USA VISA processing. Only the awardees will be notified, by December 20th.

Abstract

CD (cluster of differentiation) Ags are cell surface molecules expressed on leukocytes and other cells relevant for the immune system. CD nomenclature has been universally adopted by the scientific community and is officially approved by the International Union of Immunological Societies and sanctioned by the World Health Organization. It provides a unified designation system for mAbs, as well as for the cell surface molecules that they recognize. This nomenclature was established by the Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigens Workshops. In addition to defining the CD nomenclature, these workshops have been instrumental in identifying and determining the expression and function of cell surface molecules. Over the past 30 y, the data generated by the 10 Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigens Workshops have led to the characterization and formal designation of more than 400 molecules. CD molecules are commonly used as cell markers, allowing the identification and isolation of leukocyte populations, subsets, and differentiation stages. mAbs against these molecules have proven to be essential for biomedical research and diagnosis, as well as in biotechnology. More recently, they have been recognized as invaluable tools for the treatment of several malignancies and autoimmune diseases. In this article, we describe how the CD nomenclature was established, present the official updated list of CD molecules, and provide a rationale for their usefulness in the 21st century.

A hallmark of CD4+ T cell activation and immunological synapse (IS) formation is the migration of the microtubule organization center and associated organelles toward the APCs. In this study, we found that when murine CD4+ T cells were treated with a microtubule-destabilizing agent (vinblastine) after the formation of IS, the microtubule organization center dispersed and all of the major cellular organelles moved away from the IS. Cytokines were no longer directed toward the synapse but were randomly secreted in quantities similar to those seen in synaptic secretion. However, if the actin cytoskeleton was disrupted at the same time with cytochalasin D, the organelles did not shift away from the IS. These findings suggest that there is a complex interplay between the microtubules and actin cytoskeleton, where microtubules are important for directing particular cytokines into the synapse, but they are not involved in the amount of cytokines that are produced for at least 1 h after IS formation. In addition, we found that they play a critical role in mobilizing organelles to reorient toward the synapse during T cell activation and in stabilizing organelles against the force that is generated through actin polymerization so that they move toward the APCs. These findings show that there is a complex interplay between these major cytoskeletal components during synapse formation and maintenance