Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia meeting entitled The Innate Immune Response in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease, organized by Ricardo T. Gazzineli, Gustavo P. Amarante-Mendes, Anne O'Garra and Alan Sher. The meeting will be held in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais Brazil from May 10 - 15, 2013. The general topic of this meeting is highly relevant to the NIAID mission with respect to innate immunity and the role of the immune system in health and disease. The rational development of immunological interventions that are effective for treating or preventing infectious diseases is still on its infancy. For decades, the majority of the studies on immunopathogenesis have dealt with physical damage and inflammation, primarily mediated by lymphocytes. The main focus of this Keystone Symposia meeting will be on the interface of the innate immune system and microbial pathogens and the role that it plays in protective versus deleterious immune responses and, thereby, of disease outcome. The program will promote discussions on fundamental concepts as well as new advances in the role of innate immunity in host resistance and pathogenesis of infectious diseases, with special emphasis on infections of the tropics. Investigators from different areas, such as biochemistry, cell biology, immunology, microbiology, parasitology, infectious diseases, tropical medicine and biotechnology will be included to encourage the discussion of interdisciplinary concepts and new directions for the field. This is the first of a series of Keystone Symposia meetings to be held in Brazil, and should also foster the participation of Latin American students and scientists. The close interaction of these participants with leading international experts in the field should lead to a stimulating atmosphere that we hope will promote the development of new South-North collaborations and research networks.
The innate immune receptors and pathways involved in pathogen recognition are the subject of intense research. Nevertheless, our overall understanding of the complex interactions between innate immunity and infectious agents and how they influence disease development is still limited. Keystone Symposia's 2013 meeting on The Innate Immune Response in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease will promote discussions on fundamental concepts as well as new advances in the role of innate immunity in host resistance and pathogenesis of infectious diseases, with special emphasis on infections of the tropics.
