Abstract

How the immune system responds to dying cells can be the difference between an effective, healing response and one that provokes or exacerbates pathology. Over the past few years, we have witnessed important advances in our understanding of different forms of cell death and their consequences to immunity. At the molecular level, an increasing number of connections between the innate immune machinery and pathways involved in autophagy and different forms of cell death have been identified. The intersection between cell death and immunity is an area of intense research, with the potential to impact how we treat infectious and inflammatory diseases and with implications for vaccine development and diseases associated with aging. This Cell Symposium will provide a unique opportunity to bring together researchers in the cell death and immunology communities, as well as scientists studying host-pathogen interactions, who are focused on understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms that link cell death and the immune response. In addition to talks by invited speakers, students and postdocs will have the opportunity to present their work in short talks and posters. We aim for a highly interactive meeting that encourages lively discussions between young investigators and established experts in the field. Symposium themes: Cell Death Modalities, Regulation of Cell Death and Inflammation, Cell Death in Host Defense, Resolution and Healing, Intersection of Cell Death with Adaptive Immunity.