CONFERENCE ON CYTOKINES AND THEIR RECEPTORS

也许免疫学中没有其他分支学科发展得更快 在过去的十年里，细胞因子的分子特征 和它们的受体。 无数定义不清的可溶性活动现在 已被证明与离散的基因产物有关，其功能是 不仅控制免疫反应的发展， 造血的各个方面。 注意力继续集中在 在这一领域，许多细胞因子已经在临床前和 临床上，并已被证明对恢复有深远的影响 以及在许多临床病症中维持免疫功能。 最近，一些编码特定细胞因子受体的基因， 已经被确认。 通过继续应用遗传 已经产生了几种受体的工程化可溶形式， 已经显示在体外和体内调节免疫反应性。 此外，阐明了两种细胞因子及其受体的结构。 受体开启了细胞生物学的这一领域，成为一个无与伦比的系统， 研究信号转导机制和分子生物学机制， 控制生长和分化。 尽管最近围绕细胞因子及其受体的活动是 在几次重大科学会议上，没有一个单独的专题讨论会 研讨会（除了每年举行一次的国际放射性物质研讨会， 三年，交替在欧洲和美国）致力于一个 从基本调查开始，深入审查和讨论整个领域 到临床研究中分子作用的检验。 它 希望拟议的方案将提供一个独特的论坛， 研究人员参与了细胞因子表征的各个方面， 反应-来自关注信号背后机制的生物化学家 转导，对细胞生物学家感兴趣的途径， 分化，细胞免疫学家集中在多样性和 免疫反应网络的反应性，对临床医生感兴趣， 操纵健康和疾病中的宿主免疫反应性-可以满足 讨论细胞因子依赖性免疫背后的复杂性和相似性 响应路径。

Perhaps no other sub-specialty within immunology has advanced more rapidly in the past ten years than has the molecular characterization of cytokines and their receptors. Countless poorly defined soluble activities have now been shown to be associated with discrete gene products which function to control not only the development of immune reactivity, but the maintenance of all aspects of hematopoiesis as well. Attention has continued to focus on this field as many cytokines have been tested both preclinically and clinically and have been shown to manifest profound effects on restoration and maintenance of immune function in a host of clinical conditions. Recently, several of the genes which code for specific cytokine receptors have been identified. Through continued application of genetic engineering, soluble versions of several receptors have been produced and have been shown to modulate immune reactivity both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, elucidation of the structure of both cytokines and their receptors has opened this area of cell biology as an unequalled system in which to study the mechanisms behind signal transduction and the molecular control of growth and differentiation. Although recent activity surrounding cytokines and their receptors was the topic of isolated symposium at several major scientific meetings, no single symposium (save the International Lymphokine Workshop, which is held every three-years, alternately in Europe and the United States) is devoted to an in-depth review and discussion of the entire field from basic investigation through to examination of the effects of molecules in clinical studies. It is hoped that the proposed program would provide a unique forum in which investigators involved with all aspects of cytokine characterization and response - from biochemists concerned with mechanisms behind signal transduction, to cell biologists interested in the pathways of differentiation, to cellular immunologists focussed in the diversity and reactivity of immune response networks, to clinicians interested in manipulation of host immune reactivity in health and disease - can meet to discuss the intricacies and similarities behind cytokine dependent immune response pathways.