This is an application for partial funding of a conference on """"""""Transplantation Immunology"""""""" that will be held under the auspices of FASEB at Snowmass Village, Colorado June 19-24, 2004. This conference follows the successful inaugural 2002 FASEB Summer Research Conference on the same topic held at Saxton's River Vermont. The 2004 conference will target the most important recent developments in molecular and cellular immunology, stem cell biology and technologic advances that have direct relevance to improved understanding of the mechanistic basis of transplant rejection and tolerance. Equally significant, are the implications of these findings for the development of improved therapies of cell and organ graft rejection, that may lead ultimately, to the consistent achievement of clinical transplantation tolerance. Emphasis will be placed on the most recent insights in sessions that will be devoted to 1) T cell-antigen-presenting cell interactions; 2) T and B cell memory; 3) natural killer cells and non-classical T cells; 4) B cell tolerance; 5) bone marrow transplantation and graft-versus-host reactivity; 6) modulation of vascular and parenchymal inflammation; 7) stem cells/tissue engineering and 8) novel technologies/immunologic monitoring. An important aspect of this conference will be the interaction between scientists with expertise in basic immunology and molecular genetics/biology and transplantation scientists and clinicians. Approximately 180 participants will be selected from amongst those investigators most likely to share the most recent new knowledge, and to contribute to stimulating exchange of ideas/concepts. The organizers have continually strived to include women, minorities and disabled individuals at each step of planning/program development. Speakers and poster presenters will be those who have made the most significant recent contributions. There will also be two poster presentation sessions. The conference will provide an important forum for dialogue between contributors from a broad range of subspecialties. The aggregate result should be an overview and integrated perspective/consensus of this rapidly moving field of applied biomedical science. An important goal will be evaluation of future research directions, as well as critical appraisal of contemporary """"""""cutting edge"""""""" research. ? ?
