Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Immunological Memory: Innate, Adaptive and Beyond, organized by Drs. Rafi Ahmed, Susan M. Kaech and Joseph C. Sun. The conference will be held February 25 ? March 1, 2018 in Austin, Texas. This symposium will primarily focus on integrating current knowledge concerning the cellular and molecular regulation of memory T and B cell responses with their role in mediating protection against infections. In addition to the significant impact these cell populations have on vaccination, emphasis will be placed on their therapeutic and pathogenic roles in cancer, autoimmunity and chronic infection. The innate immune response has a profound influence on the regulation of effector and memory T and B cell responses, and recent discoveries in this area bring forth a greater understanding of the major signals that govern both the formation and the long-term maintenance of these populations. These conceptual advancements will be a major part of the symposium. Recently, it has become clear that there is marked phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of T cell responses; how this affects immunological protection will be discussed. Finally, this symposium will include discussion of recent advances in assessing memory T and B cell responses in a sensitive manner in human and non-human primates, as well as murine systems, to enable better elucidation of the state of the immune response during infection and vaccination, which will lead to more rationale vaccine design.
The importance of immunological memory is paramount, impacting how we vaccinate against past, present, and future infectious threats to mankind. Understanding the underlying principles and mechanisms in the generation of a protective immune response against infectious disease will not only save human lives, but inform our treatment of various other diseases such as cancer, autoimmunity, and inflammatory and metabolic diseases. The identification and bridging of gaps in our current understanding can potentially have a profound influence in how we design future vaccines in the battle against infectious diseases and cancer.
