Abstract

A clear understanding of the mechanisms of host immunity to virus infection will guide efforts to design better treatments for some of the most devastating diseases of humanity. The fields of virology and immunology often convene their own specialized meetings. However, each of these fields has matured to the point where the most transformative advances are likely to arise from cross-disciplinary insights, rather than from continued progress in an isolated area. This meeting will foster new interactions and generate new ideas by assembling international experts in the areas of evolutionary perspectives on the host-virus relationship, innate immune detection and control of endogenous and exogenous viruses, memory cell control of viruses at mucosal surfaces, immunological consequences of prior viral exposure, and new approaches to vaccines and therapeutics. This comprehensive and inclusive approach should spur new thinking. For example, a solution to the medically important issue of chronic viral infection and immune exhaustion may emerge from a better understanding of the history of these viruses and how they have shaped the immune response and vice versa over evolutionary time. Similarly, a rational approach to vaccine design must be rooted in the innate immune mechanisms by which cells detect and respond to virus infection. This Keystone Symposia meeting offers a unique opportunity to bring about the next advances in viral immunity through cross-disciplinary interactions.