Chaired by Philip Murphy, NIAID

Conference Room E1/E2, Natcher Conference Center

Cell movement is a fundamental requirement for normal immune system function and accounts for the global reach of this system throughout the body in health and disease.  Specialized mechanisms exist for leukocyte trafficking during development in the thymus and bone marrow, during differentiation and activation in lymph node and spleen, and during mobilization to and egress from the tissues.   Fundamental and primary among these is the ability of the cell to polarize in response to sensing shallow gradients of chemoattractants.  Then the cell must cross biological barriers such as endothelium, and find antigen-presenting cells, in the case of lymphocyte activation, and target cells, in the case of effectors.  Proper cell positioning and appropriate cell-cell contact for prolonged periods of time is required for normal development, differentiation and effector functions, but may also be exploited inappropriately and pathologically in the context of immunologically-mediated disease.  Major advances have been made recently in identifying key molecular mechanisms, including chemokines, chemokine receptors, G protein regulators, and adhesion molecules, that integrate these trafficking processes into coordinated immune responses.  This symposium will illustrate several key advances made by NIH intramural scientists in this area using diverse approaches, including studies of living cells, intact lymph nodes and disease.

Program:

Gradient Sensing and Signal Relay during Chemotaxis
Carole Parent, NCI

Chemokine Receptors and Differentiation of Human CD4+ Memory T Cells
Josh Farber, NIAID

Chemokine Receptor Signaling:  B Lymphocyte Trafficking through Lymph Nodes
John Kehrl, NIAID

Chemokine Control of Cell Interactions Underlying Adaptive Immune Responses
Ron Germain, NIAID

Macrophage Retention Mechanisms in Atherosclerotic Plaque
Phil Murphy, NIAID