The 7th International Congress of Mucosal Immunology has been planned for August 16-20, 1992 in Prague, Czechoslovakia. The past Congresses have been held at approximately three (3) year intervals, beginning with the first two which were held in Birmingham, Alabama in 1973 and 1977, followed by two in New York (New York Academy of Sciences in 1982 in New York City and Niagara Falls in 1986). The last two Congresses (London, 1989 and Tokyo, 1990) clearly indicate the International scope of Mucosal Immunology. These past six Congresses have had on average more than 500 participants. This is the first of these Congresses to be sponsored by the Society For Mucosal Immunology, which has assumed major responsibilities for development of the Program. An International Committee of 33 scientists from 21 countries serves in this capacity. The purpose of this Congress is to review recent advances in the field of mucosal immunology with a significant participation of Eastern European scientists. The Congress will provide a forum for Eastern and Western Scientists to exchange scientific information, ideas and to establish collaborative ties using some unique facilities available in their respective countries. The meeting itself will begin with a Sunday evening session (August 16, 1992) and will continue for four additional days. The Program will consist of morning Plenary Sessions and these will include: 1. Cells of the Mucosal Immune System, II. T Cells and Cytokines in the Mucosal immune system, III. Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology of the Mucosal Immune System; and IV. Mucosal Vaccines and Immunotherapy. Each Plenary session will have approximately 10 speakers. Each of the four afternoons will be divided into three symposia, which will run concurrently, and each will include approximately 12 speakers. These twelve symposia will cover all aspects of mucosal immunology and will include: the Liver, the Respiratory Tract, Exocrine Glands, inflammatory Bowel Diseases, the Urogenital Tract an AIDS, and all aspects of inflammation and Mucosal immunity. Special emphasis will be given to Gnotobiology, and Environmental Factors in Mucosal Immunity, since the local hosts for this Congress, Drs. Jaroslav Sterzl and Helena Tlaskalova have led a major research group in this area. The Praque meeting will provide the first opportunity for ideas freely. The meeting will allow Western scientists to establish effective collaborations with their Eastern European colleagues. In summary, we fully expect that the exchange of scientific ideas, development of collaborative opportunities, and sharing of unique resources will foster the establishment of future lies between Eastern and Western scientists in the broad area of the Mucosal Immune System.
