Understanding dendritic cells and their ability to regulate immune responses

Euroscicon, The BioPark, Hertfordshire, AL78 3AX, UK
Friday, 12 November 2010

This event  has CPD accreditation

9:00 – 9:45           Registration

9:45 – 10:00         Introduction by the Chair: Dr Steven Patterson, Imperial College, London

10:00 – 10:30       Wounding the immune system with its own blade: pathogenic consequences of HIV-mediated pDC activation
Dr. Adriano Boasso, Imperial College, Dept. Immunology, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, UK
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection causes progressive impairment of the immune system in humans, characterized by depletion of CD4 T cells and loss of T cell function. Chronic activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) and subsequent production of type I interferon and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase may exert suppressive and cytotoxic effects on T cells. We manipulated HIV in order to reduce its ability to activate pDC and induce immunopathogenesis, while preserving its antigenic potential. More potent T cell memory responses were elicited against non pathogenic HIV, demonstrating that pDC activation may be deleterious rather than beneficial in this setting.

10:30 – 11:00       Talk title to be confirmed 
Dr Siobhan Burns, Institute of Child Health, UK

11:00- 11:10         Speakers photo

11:10 – 11:30       Mid-morning break and poster viewing

11:30 – 12:00       Talk title to be confirmed 
Professor Stella Knight, Northwick Park and St. Mark's Campus, Imperial College, London, UK

12:00 – 12:30       Talk title to be confirmed 
Dr Andrew Stagg, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK airways.    

12:30–13:30         Lunch and Poster Viewing

13:30  - 14: 30      Talk title to be confirmed 
Diane Razanajaona-Doll, Dendritics SAS, France

14:30 – 15:00       Talk title to be confirmed
Professor Giovanna Lombardi - King's College School of Medicine, UK

15:00 – 15:30       Afternoon Tea/Coffee and Last Poster Viewing

15:30 – 16:00       Talk to be confirmed

16:00 – 16:30       Human myeloid dendritic cells, different kinds, different properties
Dr Steven Patterson, Imperial College, London
A number of distinct types of human myeloid dendritic cells (DC) have been identified. These include monocyte derived DC, Langerhans cells, dermal dendritic cells and blood myeloid (BDCA-1) dendritic cells.  Much of our present knowledge of human DC biology has been gained from studies of monocyte derived DC and although this has been a highly valuable model it may not reflect the precise biological properties of different DC populations. Knowledge of the biology of these different DC types is important in the development of vaccines which may target a particular DC population. Aspects of the biology of different types of DC will be presented. 

17:00                     Chairman’s summing up

About the Chair:

Steven Patterson was a scientist with the Medical Research Council for 30 years and for most of that time had an interest in viruses and the immune system. In the mid 1980s he investigated interactions between HIV and dendritic cells (DC) and with collaborators at the Clinical Research Centre at Northwick Park showed these cells are targets for HIV infection which are rendered dysfunctional in HIV infection. He has been in the Department of Immunology, Chelsea and Westminster campus of  Imperial College since 1999 and has continued investigations into the interactions between HIV and plasmacytoid and myeloid DC. More recently his group has focussed on the biology of DC relevant to HIV vaccines  and is principal investigator of a Gates funded consortium developing a CD8 T cell HIV vaccine.

About  the Speakers

Professor Stella Knight began studies on “veiled” or “dendritic” cells with Dr. Balfour in 1979.  Early observations of the traffic of veiled and dendritic cells (DC) via the afferent lymph formed the backdrop to her first contributions.  Localisation of afferent lymph cells in lymph nodes and carriage of contact sensitisers into lymph nodes by veiled cells was described.   Stella Knight’s original work demonstrated a dual role for DC.  She showed not only the stimulatory effects of DC for primary responses to different antigens in syngeneic T-cells but also the capacity of these cells under different environmental conditions to prevent T-cell stimulation.  Thus her work showed directly that DC stimulate primary immune responses to contact sensitisers, viruses and bacteria.  She showed that DC initiate unwanted immune responses in inflammatory or autoimmune diseases or can prevent immune responses in immunodeficiency diseases such as AIDS.  Finally, she identified DC as a target for therapy, providing the first observations of tumour therapy using dendritic cells.   Stella Knight is continuing to lead the field in identifying mechanisms by which DC perform the dual roles of either initiating or blocking the development of immunity.  Over the last 10 years she has established her Immunopathology laboratory of the Antigen Presentation Research Group as a major research facility for St. Mark’s Hospital and Institute of Colorectal Diseases. She now works on human Mucosal Immunity and Nutrition and Immunity.

Professor Giovanna Lombardi  obtained her degrees (BSc and PhD) in Rome working on the regulation of human T cell responses to Candida albicans. In 1987 she moved to London. During the first few years she elucidated the molecular basis of allorecognition of MHC molecules. In more recent years she has focused on the understanding of the mechanisms involved in peripheral tolerance. Recently, she was involved in the discovery of CD4⁺CD25⁺ Tregs in the human. Two years ago she moved to KCL from Imperial College and is now studying the phenotype and function of Tregs and the use of alloantigen-specific Tregs for immunotherapy in transplantation. Recently she has also developed an interest in the differentiation, function and manipulation of human dendritic cells.

Adriano Boasso received his PhD from the University of Milan, Italy. He then completed five years of post-doctoral training at the Experimental Immunology Branch of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. In 2009 he joined Imperial College in the Department of Immunology at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, first as recipient of a Wellcome Trust VIP award then taking his current post as holder of a Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellowship

www.regonline.co.uk/dendritic10

The Deadline for early registration is July 20th 10