CONFERENCE OF THE SOCIETY FOR NATURAL IMMUNITY

描述(由申请人提供)：自然杀伤(NK)细胞最初被描述是因为它们具有杀死癌细胞的能力。近年来，在NK细胞功能的分子基础上取得了显著的进展，使人们认识到NK细胞在其他先天免疫过程中的作用，如与其他先天免疫细胞的相互作用，识别病原体感染的细胞，以及产生细胞因子。对NK细胞生物学的基本了解的进展现已进入临床。尽管最近人们对先天免疫感兴趣，而且更多的会议致力于先天免疫，但仍有必要召开一次以NK细胞及其生物学为重点的会议。自然免疫学会(SNI)会议是关于自然杀手(NK)细胞生物学方方面面的领先和最全面的国际会议。在之前在美国、澳大利亚和欧洲举办的11次会议的成功基础上，这次活动历来提供了大量的专业网络、合作、讨论和辩论的机会，围绕NK细胞生物学和自然免疫的新发展，以及这如何影响关键的生物功能，包括控制感染和恶性肿瘤的能力。已经接受了几乎所有NK细胞生物学主要研究人员的邀请，参加计划于2010年4月在克罗地亚卡夫塔特-杜布罗夫尼克举行的下一次SNI会议，这就证明了这一点。本次申请支持本次会议的具体目的如下：1.促进对自然杀伤细胞生物学的了解。2.培养对特殊NK细胞亚群的理解。3.将知识与先天免疫研究的其他领域联系起来。4.促进NK细胞功能的翻译研究，以合理设计以NK细胞为基础的癌症和传染病新疗法。5.为实习生和初级教职员工提供令人兴奋的环境。通过在全体会议中提供口头陈述和海报会议的时间，我们将为初级调查人员、博士后研究员和学生提供广泛的机会，正式和非正式地介绍他们的工作。这应该会促进他们的职业发展。最后，如果得到资助，这笔赠款的主要支出将是初级科学家参加这次会议的旅费，该会议历来是NK细胞生物学最新开创性发现的初步展示场所。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Natural killer (NK) cells were initially described because of their capacity to kill cancer cells. Significant recent advances in the molecular basis for their functions have led to an appreciation of the role of NK cells in other innate immune processes such as interaction with other innate immune cells, recognition of pathogen infected cells, and production of cytokines. Advances in fundamental understanding of NK cell biology are now reaching the clinic. Despite recent interest in innate immunity, and more meetings devoted to innate immunity, a meeting focused on NK cells and their biology is still warranted. The meeting of the Society for Natural Immunity (SNI) is the leading and most comprehensive international conference on all aspects of natural killer (NK) cell biology. Building on the success of 11 previous meetings held throughout the USA, Australia and Europe, this event has historically provided numerous opportunities for professional networking, collaboration, discussion and debate around new developments in NK cell biology and natural immunity and how this impacts the critical biological functions including the ability to control infections and malignancies. This is evidenced by already accepted invitations from nearly all major investigators in NK cell biology to the next planned SNI meeting in April, 2010 in Cavtat - Dubrovnik, Croatia. This application for support of this meeting has the following specific objectives: 1. Foster understanding of NK cell biology. 2. Foster understanding of specialized NK cell subsets. 3. Bridge knowledge to other areas of innate immune research. 4. Facilitate translational research on NK cell functions for the rational design of novel NK-cell based therapies of cancer and infectious diseases. 5. Provide an exciting environment for trainees and junior faculty. By providing slots in the plenary sessions for oral presentations, and poster sessions, we will provide extensive opportunities for junior investigators, postdoctoral fellows, and students to present their work formally and informally. This should foster their career development. Finally, the major expenditure of this grant, if funded, will be travel support for junior scientists to attend this meeting which has been historically the venue for initial presentation of recent seminal findings in NK cell biology.