This is an application for partial funding of a Conference on Autoimmunity, being held under the direction of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), from June 10 - June 15, 1995 at Saxton's River, Vermont. Participation will be limited to 155 applicants, who will be selected on the basis of their expertise and interests as most likely to contribute to a stimulating and productive environment. The meeting will focus on the latest developments related to autoimmunity, and especially how recent advances in basic immunology and cell biology have influenced the field of autoimmunity. The conference will consist of nine scientific sessions, each with one session leader and four additional speakers. In addition there will be two poster sessions during the week and a dinner speaker. The major session topics will be as follows: 1) Cellular Mechanisms of Lymphocyte Activation, Cell Death, and Tolerance; 2) T Cell Recognition and T Cell Targets in Autoimmunity; 3) T Cell Tolerance; 4) B Cell Tolerance and Autoantibody Production; 5) Autoimmune Disease: Overview and New Developments; 6) Genetics of Autoimmunity; 7) Microbial Triggers of Autoimmunity; 8) Cytokines and their Role in Autoimmunity; and 9) New Approaches to Immunotherapy. The conference will present a comprehensive view of both basic immune and genetic mechanisms related to autoimmunity, immunopathogenic mechanisms involved in the autoimmune process, and immune intervention. It will provide a forum in which both senior and younger scientists from diverse backgrounds will discuss autoimmunity. The FASEB Conference on Autoimmunity has been held approximately every two years at Saxton's River and has proven to be an important vehicle for scientific dialogue related to autoimmunity. Many investigators consider it to be the premier meeting on autoimmunity.
