Meetings

Immunoassessment and Interventional Immunology
Satellite Symposia
Thursday, June 7, 2007
San Diego, CA

The Immunoassessment and Interventional Immunology Satellite Symposia was held on June 7, 2007, in San Diego, California, prior to the FOCIS Annual Meeting.

The Immunoassessment portion of the satellite was sponsored by the Clinical Immunology Society (CIS) and the Cancer Vaccine Consortium (CVC) and took place during the morning session. Organizers of the Immunoassessment Satellite include Carl June, MD and Axel Hoos, MD PhD.

The afternoon CIS Interventional Immunology Satellite directly and logically followed the CIS/CVC Immunoassessment Satellite. Organizers of the Interventional Immunology Satellite include George Eisenbarth, MD PhD and Peter Gottlieb, MD.

The juxtaposition of these two satellites worked particularly well, as many of the technologies discussed in the morning have direct application to Interventional Immunology research, and some of the resources developed by the Cancer Vaccine groups such as ELISPOT workshops and standardization are essential topics as immunotherapies are applied to multiple diseases.

The Interventional Immunology Satellite speakers covered a wide range of diseases including lupus erythematosus(Betty Diamond), autoimmune arthritis, type 1A diabetes as well as transplantation. Type 1 diabetes was particularly well covered with multiple speakers addressing this area as either the “whole” (Peter Gottlieb), major part (George Eisenbarth) or as important parts of their presentations (Virginia Pasqual, Terry Strom, Jeffrey Bluestone). In particular exciting data was presented in terms of messenger RNA signatures for multiple disorders, alpha1 anti-trypsin therapy and regulatory T cell immunotherapies in diabetes. A large number of clinical trials are now addressing application of immunotherapies to diabetes including anti-CD3 and anti-CD20 with intensive viral monitoring that should provide an important baseline for such therapeutics in patients receiving single immunomodulatory agents. An additional major diabetes trial of anti-CD25 plus two years of mycophenolate mofetil is now fully enrolled with therapy discontinued in several patients upon detection of elevated EBV particles in serum. With our present state of knowledge we cannot be sure that such elevations are related to immunotherapy and the field awaits analysis with placebo versus active drug participants identified.

Data was presented that prediction of a series of autoimmune disorders is now possible combining molecular genetic assays and highly specific and sensitive autoantibody assays (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, type 1 diabetes). The development of personalized medicine with early immunologic intervention for individuals identified to be at high risk was a major theme.

Given the success of the satellite and speed with which the field is developing initial plans are being drafted to potentially create a “summer school” modeled on other CIS week long-schools in the area of Immunoassessment and Interventional Immunology.

ACCME Accreditation Statement
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the sponsorship of the Clinical Immunology Society. The Clinical Immunology Society is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation Statement
The Clinical Immunology Society designates this educational activity for a maximum of 6 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credits commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.