Overview
Fungi are historically under-appreciated but rapidly emerging drivers of human morbidity and mortality. Understanding protective versus detrimental host immunity is crucial for combating this critical class of eukaryotic pathogens. Cytokines play an indispensable role in immune cell communication and decision-making and thus represent a priority for mechanistic study. In recent years, much progress has been made in the characterization of cytokines crucial for host defense against invasive and mucosal fungal pathogens. In addition, several cytokine circuits have been identified that compromise the ability of mammalian hosts to rid tissues of fungi. Bench-to-bedside translational studies have uncovered exciting therapeutic potential for targeting these cytokine pathways to thwart infection.
This one-day NIH/FDA-Cytokine Interest Group Mini-Symposium provides a unique opportunity to bring together researchers to discuss the latest progress on cytokine biology during fungal infection, ranging from basic cellular/molecular mechanisms to clinical applications. Importantly, this mini-symposium will also provide an interactive venue for trainees, junior faculty, and established investigators to foster collaborations and interprofessional communication in this vitally important field.
We cordially invite you to join this mini-symposium on NIH campus (Lipsett Auditorium, NIH, Bethesda) in person or virtually by WebEx (link will be provided upon request).
The organizing committee:
Eric Dang (NIAID)
Dragana Jankovic (NIAID)
Michail Lionakis (NIAID)
Niki Moutsopoulos (NIDCR)
Hyun Park (NCI)