a message from the new isicr president, eleanor fish€¦ · march, 2008 isicr officers president...

March, 2008

ISICR OfficersPresidentEleanor Fish

President-electLeonidas Platanias

SecretaryTom Hamilton TreasurerBob Friedman

Executive DirectorCliff Brownstein

Future ISICR Meetings

2008 MeetingJoint ISICR/ICS

Montreal, CanadaOct. 12-16

www.cytokines2008.org

2009 MeetingJoint ISICR/ICS/SLB

Lisbon, Portugal

2010 MeetingJoint ISICR/ICSChicago, Illinois

ISICR WWW Sitewww.ISICR.org

ISICR Business [email protected]

TEL: 301-634-7250FAX: 301-634-7420

ISICR Newsletter EditorsHoward Young

[email protected]: 301-846-1673

Hannah [email protected]

Seng-Lai (Thomas) [email protected]

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FORINTERFERON AND CYTOKINE RESEARCH

April 2008Volume 15, No. 1

A Message from the new ISICRPresident, Eleanor Fish

It is with gratitude and humility that I assume theresponsibilities of incoming President of theISICR. I am honored to have been elected by mypeers and am fortunate to have in place a Board ofDirectors and Committee members that are ascommitted to strengthening our Society as I am. Inrecent months, to ensure that our Society reflects

the scientific activities of junior investigators, as positions havebecome vacant on the various ISICR Committees, in consultationwith the Committee Chairs I have made best efforts to invite the par-ticipation of younger investigators who share our vision of a strong,international, collegial Society. I invite members to participate inyour Society - just contact me to let me know of your interest.

Within recent years we have seen a revival of interest in thepleiotropic activities of interferons, touching on many different bio-logical disciplines. Moreover, the role of cytokines and how theyinform us of biological processes in normal and diseased states is anever expanding field. I would like to focus my tenure as President ona number of key areas:

Communication. Disseminate information relating to notableresearch activities to the general public, to governmental organiza-tions and policy makers. To ensure that support for research in ourfield is strengthened. Collaboration. Provide the appropriate information to Societymembers and new opportunities for networking, to enable transla-tional research: from basic science discoveries to clinical/veterinar-ian application. Membership. Enhance the membership to have a broader reach,both in terms of attracting scientists from around the world andfrom various disciplines. Invite broader membership from academ-ic institutions and industry.

I look forward to doing this in partnership with all of you.

Eleanor

New ISICR Executive Director

Clifford M. Brownstein

Cliff Brownstein has spent 33years in the association manage-ment profession. He has servedas Executive Director of numer-ous associations, including theAssociation of Accounting

Administrators, the National Business OwnersAssociation, the Society for Surgery of theAlimentary Tract, and the Association of PracticingCPAs, among others. At present, he is also ExecutiveDirector of the Society for Leukocyte Biology.

Prior to joining FASEB's Managed Society Services,he was Owner of Practical Strategies, consultants toassociations, from 2000-2007. He provided strategicplanning, membership growth, leadership trainingconsulting to a variety of associations including theAmerican College of Radiation Oncologists, theSociety for Mucosal Immunology, the AutomaticMeter Reading Association, and the AmericanCollege of Foot & Ankle Orthopedics and Medicine.

From 1996 to 1999, Cliff served as Chief OperatingOfficer for TEAM Management, Washington, DC,overseeing a staff of 38 in two offices, and managingmore than one dozen medical and scientific associa-tions. For 11 years prior, Cliff owned C.M.Brownstein & Associates, Inc., an association management company specializing in professionalsocieties.

Cliff served as 1997-98 President of the InternationalAssociation of Association Management Companies,has been a frequent contributing author toAssociation Trends, and has been an invited speakeron various association management topics at meet-ings of the American Society of AssociationExecutives and its affiliated state societies.

He is a graduate of Rutgers University with a BS inJournalism. He is married with three grown childrenand one brand new granddaughter. He's also an avidmotorcyclist, whitewater rafter, and keyboard andharmonica player.

2 International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research

New ISICR Business OfficerManager

Lisa Hetherington

Lisa Hetherington joined FASEBlast summer as Senior ProjectCoordinator in the ManagedSociety Services department. Withover 10 years of administrative andmanagement experience, Lisa is

responsible for coordinating and implementing activities for several client societies.

Before coming to FASEB, Lisa served as Directorand Manager for various operational, research andpublication services. From 2005 to 2007, as themanager of a business analyst group, she planned,directed and coordinated system development lifecycles for support and implementation of softwarechanges.

From 1998 to 2005, Lisa worked for a privatelyowned direct mail firm, serving in different capaci-ties as a Client Service Manager for fulfillment andpublishing clients and as the Warehouse OperationsDirector, managing over $7 million of client inventory.

Lisa earned her Bachelor's degree in BusinessAdministration from the University of Florida and isthe proud mother of an 8 year old son. Prior todevoting her time to soccer games and Cub Scoutactivities, Lisa was an avid billiards player, winningtwo division championship league titles. (Eight Ball- American Poolplayer's Association, sponsored byBud Light).

Appreciation:

The ISICR wishes to express its' sincereappreciation to Ms. Delores Francis for hermany years of effective service to theISICR and to John Lord for his servicethis past year as Executive Director.

The Seymour and Vivian MilsteinAward

Seymour Milstein(1920-2001)

Individuals who have made excep-tional contributions to research relat-ed to interferons and cytokines eitherin a basic or clinical field. The

Seymour and Vivian Milstein awards are made possi-ble by the generous gift of the Milstein family. Thisaward represents a pinnacle of scientific achievementin our field and is an important landmark of the soci-ety. Nominations should be communicated to thePresident of the ISICR by May 1, 2008 (see below).

Honorary Membership

Nominees should be individuals who have made sub-stantive contributions to the interferon/cytokine fieldover much of their careers, either in basic, clinical orapplied research. Honorary members are the treas-ures of the society and provide us with an historicalperspective and valued research tradition.

We invite your nominations for eligible candidatesfor The Seymour and Vivian Milstein Award andHonorary Membership, both prestigious symbols ofrecognition by our society for outstanding achieve-ments. A brief (one to two page) description of thereasons for your nomination and the CV of the nominee should be sent to the ISICR President by May 1, 2008:Eleanor N. Fish, Ph.D.Canada Research Chair in Women's Health &ImmunobiologyProfessor, Dept. of Immunology, University of Toronto67, College Street, Rm. 424Toronto, Ontario M5G 2M1Tel: 416 340-5380FAX: 416 340-3453e-mail: [email protected]

April, 2008 3

The nominations will be collated, and passed on tothe Chair of the Awards Committee in May. Thiscommittee will then vote for the winners. As speci-fied in the ISICR Constitution, the final vote of theAwards Committee is subject to the approval of theISICR Board of Directors.

The Seymour and Vivian MilsteinYoung Investigator AwardsISICR members who attend the 2008 ISICR meetingin Montreal, Canada and who have received a Ph.Dor M.D. within the previous 8 years are eligible.Every year up to five awards are granted to individu-als who have made notable contributions to eitherbasic or clinical research. This award is provided bya generous gift of the Milstein Family. We urgeevery eligible individual to apply for the awards. ACV and letter of recommendation should accompanythe application. We also ask more senior laboratoryadvisers to encourage their associates to apply.Deadline to Submit your 2008 ISICR AwardApplication is July 18, 2008.

Seymour and Vivian Milstein TravelAwardsISICR members who attend the 2008 ISICR meetingin Montreal, Canada are eligible for Travel Awards.They are provided through a grant from the MilsteinFamily based on the scientific merit of the abstractand financial necessity. However, this award doesnot exempt payment of the registration fee. A CVshould accompany the application for this award.Please note that there are no age restrictions to thisaward. However if both senior and junior membersfrom the same laboratory apply for an award, prefer-ence is given to the junior member. Deadline toSubmit your 2008 ISICR Award Application is July 18, 2008.

ISICR Awards


(Awards, cont. from page 3)

The Christina Fleischmann Award toYoung Women Investigators

Dr. Christina Fleischmann(1945-1996)

The rules for this ISICR awardare the same as for the Seymourand Vivian Milstein YoungInvestigator Award (see above)except for gender and the candi-

date must have received a Ph.D or M.D. degree with-in the previous 10 years. This award is made possi-ble through the generosity of the FleischmannFoundation and is dedicated to the memory of ISICRmember and outstanding interferon research scientistChristina Fleischmann. Deadline to Submit your2008 ISICR Award Application is July 18, 2008.

The ISICR wishes to express its' deepestappreciation to the Milstein Family fortheir continuous support of the Society.The ISICR is honored by the generosity ofthe Milstein Family in being able to recognize the scientists whose work hasbeen instrumental in understanding therole of Interferon in the host response to infectious disease and cancer, through theMilstein Award and Milstein YoungInvestigator Awards. Furthermore, the Milstein Travel Awards provide an important mechanism for enabling thefuture generation of scientists to attendand participate in the society, thus ensur-ing a continuum of scientific excellence ininterferon and cytokine research.

Vilcek Foundation 2008 Award Winners

The Vilcek Foundation has announced the names ofthe recipients of its annual prizes in biomedicalresearch and in the arts. Dr. Inder Verma is the prizerecipient for biomedical science; the prize recipientfor the arts is composer Osvaldo Golijov. The VilcekFoundation Prizes are awarded annually to foreign-born individuals for extraordinary contributions tosociety in the United States. In explaining the moti-vation for the awards, Dr. Jan T. Vilcek, President ofThe Vilcek Foundation said, "We should not have tobe reminded of how much America owes to peoplewho were born abroad, but we do. Historically, theUnited States has innumerable foreign-born individu-als to thank for establishing it as a leader in the sci-ences and arts, and in many other fields as well. Inawarding The Vilcek Foundation Prizes, our primaryobjective is to raise awareness of that reality. Weshould not forget that so much of what this countrytakes credit for is the achievement of immigrants."Marica Vilcek, Vice-President of the Foundation,added: "As the only foundation to recognize the out-standing contributions of foreign-born individuals tothe biomedical sciences and the arts, we are in aprivileged position to shine a spotlight on leaderssuch as Dr. Verma and Mr. Golijov, whose achieve-ments we are pleased to honor this year."

A $50,000 cash award and a commemorative trophycreated by designer Stefan Sagmeister was presentedto Dr. Verma and Mr. Golijov during TheFoundation's third annual awards dinner onWednesday, March 26, 2008 at the MandarinOriental Hotel in New York. The two prize winnerswere chosen by independent panels of experts.

April, 2008 5

Sabrina Racine-BrzostekStony Brook Univ

Jeremy RossUniv of Texas - EL Paso

Linfang WangShanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, ChineseAcademy of Sciences

Lei ZhangBeckman Rsch Inst

Dr. Wanjun ChenPrincipal InvestigatorNational Institute of Dental andCraniofacial ResearchBethesda, MD

Dr. Wanjun Chen obtained his MD and his MS inImmunology in China. He did a postdoctoral fellow-ship in Immunology and mucosal T-cell tolerance atthe Center for Neurological Diseases at HarvardMedical School, Boston. From 1997 through 2003he was a Senior Staff Fellow in the CellularImmunology Section, Oral Infection and ImmunityBranch of the NIDCR and his research was focusedon TGF-β and T cell tolerance.

Dr. Chen is now a tenure-track Principal Investigatorand has been leading an independent research groupin the Mucosal Immunology Unit, NIDCR sinceMay, 2004. His research focuses on TGF-β regula-tion of T cell tolerance in mucosal and peripheralimmune systems with special attention to the devel-opment and function of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulato-ry cells. His work has led to a better understandingof the cellular and molecular mechanisms involvedin the mutual regulation between TGF-β and regula-tory T cells in T cell immunity and tolerance and hehas recently published on this research in NatureMedicine and Nature Immunology.

Joined from November 2007 --February 2008

We welcome these new members to the ISICR andlook forward to their participation in society affairsand the annual meeting. We hope to see you all inMontreal!!!!!

Wanjun ChenNational Institute of Dental and CraniofacialResearch, NIH

Y Eugene ChinRhode Island Hosp

Biyan DuanUT Southwestern Med Ctr

Kenneth FrankDr. Frank's Health Products

Claire GreenhillMonash Institute of Med Rsch

Bin HeUniv of Illinois at Chicago

Subburaj IlangumaranUniv of Sherbrooke

Valerie JanelleUniversite du Quebec a Montreal

Laurent PoliquinUniversite du Quebec a Montreal

NEW ISICR MEMBERS

New Member MinibiosThomas Tan


(Mini Bios, cont. from page 5)

Professor Y. Eugene ChinDepartment of Surgery, RhodeIsland Hospital-Brown UniversitySchool of Medicine, 593# EddyStreet, Providence RI 02903, USA

Professor Y. Eugene Chin , MD,PhD, is from Brown University School of Medicinewhere he has worked since 1998. His majorresearch interests include cytokine receptor intracel-lular signal transduction. His lab is particularlyinterested in studying protein posttranslational mod-ification events other than tyrosine phosphorylationin cytokine signal transduction. Moreover, his lab isinterested in developing and applying micro-anti-body arrays for differential analysis of cancer pro-teomics.

Subburaj Ilangumaran, Ph.D.Assistant Professor, Immunology Division, Faculty ofMedicineUniversity of Sherbrooke3001, 12th Avenue NorthSherbrooke, Québec, Canada

Subburaj Ilangumaran received his PhD in 1993from the Madurai-Kamaraj University, Madurai,India for his work on Immunological responses toMycobacterium leprae antigens. As a postdoctoralfellow, he investigated the organization of plasmamembrane lipid rafts on T lymphocytes at the Univ.of Geneva, Switzerland (1994-1998) before switch-ing to cytokine receptor signaling in the laboratoryof Dr. Robert Rottapel at the Ontario CancerInstitute, Toronto, Canada (1998-2003). He teamedup with Dr. DeSepulveda to demonstrate the role ofSOCS1, the key regulator of IFNγ signaling, in pro-tein ubiquitination. Subsequently he showed therequirement for SOCS1 in IFNγ-induced expressionof MHC class II molecules in fibroblasts. Usingmice deficient for SOCS1 and IFN, he showed acritical role for SOCS1 in the homeostasis of T lym-

phocytes. In 2003, he accepted a faculty position atthe Univ. of Sherbrooke and investigated the regula-tory functions of SOCS1 in cytotoxic T lympho-cytes. He showed that SOCS1 is an important regu-lator of the homeostatic functions of IL-15, IL-7 andIL-21. His current focus is on antigen non-specificactivation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes mediated bycytokines, which have potential implications inautoimmunity and cellular immunotherapy for cancer.

NOW AVAILABLE TO ISICR MEMBERS-

INTERFERON HISTORICALPERSPECTIVES

Through the generosity of Mary Ann LiebertPublications, links to the historical perspec-tives on Interferon research can be found in the"Members Only" section of the ISICR website.These articles, written by society memberswho were the pioneers in Interferon research,were published during 2007 in the Journal ofInterferon and Cytokine Research. I urge allISICR members to read these interesting arti-cles in order to gain a better perspective of thetrials and tribulations experienced in the earlydays of interferon research.

Cartoon by Nick D Kim, nearingzero.net. Used by permissionAvailable as a slide in the ISICR slide repository.

Takeuchi O, Akira S. MDA5/RIG-I and virus recog-nition. Current Op. Immunol. 20: 17-22, 2008

Teicher BA. Transforming growth factor-beta and theimmune response to malignant disease. Clin. CancerRes. 13:6247-6251, 2007

Wang RF, Miyahara Y, Wang HY. Toll-like receptorsand immune regulation: implications for cancer ther-apy. Oncogene 27:181-189, 2008

Deenick EK, Tangye SG. Autoimmunity: IL-21: anew player in Th17-cell differentiation. ImmunolCell Biol. 85:503-505, 2007

di Carlo E, de Totero D, Piazza T, Fabbi M, FerriniS. Role of IL-21 in immune-regulation and tumorimmunotherapy. Cancer Immunol Immunother.56:1323-1334, 2007

Dinarello CA. Historical insights into cytokines. Eur.J. Immunol. 37:S34-S45 Suppl. 1, 2007

El-Menyar AA. Cytokines and myocardial dysfunc-tion: state of the art. J. Card. Fail. 14:61-74, 2008

Filippi CM, von Herrath MG. IL-10 and the resolu-tion of infections. J. Pathology 214: 224-230, 2008

Fitzgerald-Bocarsly P, Dai J, Singh S. Plasmacytoiddendritic cells and type I IFN: 50 years of convergenthistory. Cytokine Growth Fac. Rev. 19:3-19, 2008

Friedman RM. Clinical uses of interferons. Br. J.Clin. Pharmacol. 65:158-62, 2008

Goldsack L, Kirman JR. Half-truths and selectivememory: Interferon gamma, CD4(+) T cells and pro-tective memory against tuberculosis. Tuberculosis87:465-473, 2007

Li HX, Lin X. Positive and negative signaling com-ponents involved in TNF alpha-induced NF-kappa Bactivation. Cytokine 41:1-8, 2008

Lodish HF, Zhou B, Liu G, Chen CZ.Micromanagement of the immune system bymicroRNAs. Nature Rev. Immunol. 8:120-130, 2008

Metcalf, D. Hematopoietic cytokines. Blood 111:485-491, 2008

Pelletier M, Girard D. Biological functions of inter-leukin-21 and its role in inflammation.Scientific World Journal. 22:1715-1735, 2007

Reviews of Interest

April, 2008 7

THE ISICR SLIDE REPOSITORY

Ever see a slide in a talk that you wish youcould use for your own presentation? Wellnow this may be possible through the ISICRSlide Repository. Members can now go inand post slides that they have developed ordownload slides that others have provided tothe membership. OVER 420 SLIDES ARENOW AVAILABLE!!!!!! For this memberonly feature, you need to have your membernumber so if you are not sure what that is,please contact the membership office. We urgemembers to upload general slides that othermembers can use for lectures, classes, semi-nars, etc. Slides are not to be changed withoutpermission from the donor and all copyrightpermissions must be obtained. The repositorynow has a useful search capability that allowsyou to find slides on a particular topic. If youhave trouble uploading or downloading slides,please contact Howard Young at [email protected].

PLEASE CONSIDER CONTRIBUTINGYOUR SLIDES. The success of this initiativedepends upon you, the membership!!!!


ARED: AU-RICH ELEMENT-CONTAIN-ING mRNA DATABASEhttp://brp.kfshrc.edu.sa/ARED/

What's New in ARED 3.0More than 4000 ARE-mRNAsExpanded coverage from GenBank and RefSeqmRNA recordsAdditional ARE-mRNA data from EST clusteringusing 3¢ARE EST clustering (Khabar et al., 2005,Genomics) and TIGR clustered consensusContains alternative ARE-mRNA variantsUse of stringent ARE pattern specific to the 3¢UTR(Less stringent search can be found in ARED 2.0)Gene Ontology (GO) Information and ARE classinformationEnhanced search capability

BioSolutionshttp://bioisolutions.blogspot.com/

Biosolutions is a repository of Biological animationsand lectures. The aim of site is create knowledgebase among the students community.

COXPRESdb: co-expressed gene databasehttp://coxpresdb.hgc.jp/

Aim of COXPRESdbCOXPRESdb provides co-regulated gene relation-ships to estimate gene functions.

Target speciesHuman (e.g. gene page for ZAP70)Mouse (e.g. gene page for Ldlrap1)Rat (coming soon)

Basic contents of COXPRESdbCo-expressed genes (ver.2)Data source; publicly available gene expression datastored at NCBI GEO.

For human; GPL570, 123 experiments, 3749 slides. For mouse; GPL1261, 154 experiments, 2226 slides.

WWWCalculation procedure; Pearson's correlation coeffi-cients. Tissue-specific expression patternsData source;

For human; GSE3526 For mouse; GSE1986

Cytokine Portalhttp://www.cytok.com/

Links to lots of Cytokine related information.

Jaspar: the high-quality transcription fac-tor binding profile databasehttp://jaspar.genereg.net/

The JASPAR CORE database contains a curated,non-redundant set of 123 profiles, derived from pub-lished collections of experimentally defined tran-scription factor binding sites for multicellular eukary-otes. The prime difference to similar resources(TRANSFAC, TESS etc) consist of the open dataaccess, non-redundancy and quality: JASPAR COREis a smaller set that is non-redundant and curated.

When should it be used? When seeking models forspecific factors or structural classes, or if experimen-tal evidence is paramount.

MALISAM: a database of structurallyanalogous motifs in proteinshttp://prodata.swmed.edu/malisam/

MALISAM is a database of pairwise, structure-basedalignments for structurally analogous motifs in proteins.

Homology and analogy are two alternative scenariosto explain structural similarities among proteins.Homologs inherit similar features from their commonancestor, while analogs converge to similar structuresdue to a limited number of energetically favorableways to pack secondary structural elements.

April, 2008 9

Analogous pairs in this database are in three cate-gories: a hybrid motif and a core motif, an interfacemotif and a core motif, an artificial protein and a nat-ural protein. During evolution, a protein family usu-ally preserves a common core while accumulatinginsertions and deletions in the periphery. A coremotif is composed entirely of secondary structureelements belonging to the evolutionary core. Ahybrid motif consists of both core elements andperipheral insertions that are not present in themajority of the family members. An interface motifuses secondary structural elements from two or moredomains or subunits contacting along that interface.

Reference: H. Cheng, B. Kim, and N. Grishin(2008). MALISAM: a database of structurally analo-gous motifs in proteins. Nucleic Acids ResearchDatabase Issue. 36:D211-217

MedicineandBiotech.comwww.medicineandbiotech.com

Dear Readers, The century of DNA-driven technolo-gies is becoming a reality every day. Advances arebeing reported regularly in applications of Genomicsto develop diagnostic and prognostic tests for can-cers and other chronic diseases; advances inPersonalized Medicine and the use of Genomics forPharmaceutical research to enable comprehensiveassaying of genetics of drug metabolism are becom-ing key in streamlining the drug developmentprocess. Pharmacogenomics data is now integratedinto clinical trial workflows and the informationenables researchers to make more informed drug-development decisions, which in turn significantlystreamlines evaluation of safety and efficacy of drugsand the time to market.

The DNA blueprint is also playing an important rolein design of novel nanomaterials. Recently scientistshave used the self-assembling ability of really smallparticles, similar to that seen with DNA bases, todesign three-dimensional gold crystals. This fascinat-ing study will open new avenues for development ofnovel nanomaterials with applications in nanomedi-cine, therapeutics, diagnostics, optics and electronics.

MedicineandBiotech.com continues to strive to pro-vide our readers with valuable information in theBiotech and Pharma world every month. VisitMedicineandBiotech.com regularly to learn moreabout these developments-Neerja Sethi, PhD, Managing Editor

"MedicineandBiotech.com is a Unique e-magazinethat Provides a Platform where Biotechnology,Medicine, Business sector and the CommunityConverge" Recommended by Kevin Ahearn inGenetic Engineering News

Melanoma Molecular Map Projecthttp://www.mmmp.org/MMMP/welcome.mmmp

The MMMP is an open-access, interactive multidata-base dedicated to the research on melanoma biologyand therapy.

The aim of this non-profit project is to create a com-prehensive and continuously updated databank col-lecting in an organized fashion the huge and evergrowing amount of knowledge on melanoma current-ly scattered in thousands of scientific publications.

The ambitious hope of the MMMP is to provide bothbasic researchers and clinicians with a useful tool tokeep updated with melanoma research advances aswell as to stimulate new mechanistic/therapeutichypotheses.

Since the MMMP is made for and by the scientificcommunity, we also invite you to give your scientificcontribution to one or more of the MMMP databas-es/features:

- Biomaps (including lists of molecularly targetedagents, MTA)

- Biocards (linked to clickable Biomaps)- Melanoma Molecular Profile- Drug Development Database (DDD)- Clinical Trial Database (CTD)- Glossary (including a list of melanoma-related

microRNAs)- Melanoma: An Introduction

WWW (continued)


- Melanoma News- Melanoma Risk Assessment Tools

Thank you in advance for your interest in the MMMP.

The MMMP TeamGathering, Organizing & Sharing Knowledge onMelanoma

microRNA.org: A resource for predictedmicroRNA targets and expressionhttp://www.microrna.org/microrna/home.do

Data Downloads:Human ExpressionHuman miRNA Target Site PredictionsMouse ExpressionMouse miRNA Target Site PredictionsRat ExpressionRat miRNA Target Site Predictions

LOCATE: a mammalian protein subcellu-lar localization databasehttp://locate.imb.uq.edu.au/

LOCATE is a curated database that houses datadescribing the membrane organization and subcellu-lar localization of proteins from the RIKEN FAN-TOM4 mouse and human protein sequence set. Themembrane organization is predicted by the high-throughput, computational pipeline MemO. The sub-cellular locations were determined by a high-throughput, immunofluorescence-based assay and bymanually reviewing peer-reviewed publications.

qPCR reference Pagewww.Gene-Quantification.info/

The Gene Quantification page describes and summa-rizes all technical aspects involved in quantitativegene expression analysis using real-time qPCR &qRT-PCR. It presents a lot of new and innovativeapplications, chemistries, methods, algorithms,cyclers, kits, dyes, analysis methods, events, andservices involved. Commercial and academic institu-tions can present their qPCR tools right on theirqPCR platform.

Scientists for Better PCRhttp://www.cnpg.com/video/redirect.aspx?redirectid=65

When you're having coffee…..

TOPDB: Topology Data Bank ofTransmembrane Proteins.http://topdb.enzim.hu/

The Topology Data Bank of Transmembrane Proteins(TOPDB) is currently the most complete and com-prehensive collection of transmembrane proteindatasets containing experimentally derived topologyinformation. It contains records for 1497 transmem-brane proteins with information gathered from theliterature and from public databases available on theWorld Wide Web.

The database collects the details of various experi-ments carried out to learn about the topology of par-ticular transmembrane proteins. The experimentaltechniques include fusion with reporter enzymes,glycosylation studies, protease accessibility,immunolocalization, etc. In addition to literature-derived data, an extensive collection of structuraldata was also compiled from Protein Data Bank(PDB) and from Protein Data Bank of TransmembraneProteins (PDBTM) by utilizing the TMDET algo-rithm. While literature-derived data can not be col-lected automatically, data based on 3D structuresprovides semi-automatic and continuously updated

WWW (continued)

Nuclear Envelope

Endoplasmic Reticulum

Nucleus

MitochondriaLysosome

Golgi Apparatus

Plasma Membrane

Endosome

Cytoplasm

Secretory VesiclePeroxisome

Available as a slide in the ISICR slide repository.

April, 2008 11

information for the database. Structural data is themost reliable information about transmembranetopologies, but the topology information is oftenincomplete. Therefore, for each protein in the data-base the most probable topology consistent with thecollected experimental constraints was also calculat-ed using HMMTOP transmembrane topology predic-tion algorithm.

Each record in TOPDB also contains the indispensa-ble information about the given protein such as itssequence, name, organism and cross references tovarious databases (PDB, PDBTM, UniProt and litera-ture references from PubMed).

This web interface of TOPDB includes tools forextensive searching, relational querying and databrowsing as well as visualization tools for topologydata.

The TOPDB is designed to address the broad gapbetween the large number of transmembrane proteinsin sequence databases and the publicly availabletopology information of experimentally or computa-tionally studied transmembrane proteins.

Ref: Tusnády GE, Kalmár L and Simon I TOPDB:Topology Data Bank of Transmembrane Proteins.Nucleic Acids Research Database issue, in press,2008.

WWW (continued)

Clips from the Daily Drug NewsHannah Nguyen

[January 31, 2008] 1018-ISS safely combined withirinotecan-cetuximab in colorectal cancer. Thecombination of Dynavax Technologies' oligonu-cleotide agonist of Toll-like receptor 9, 1018-ISS,with irinotecan and cetuximab was investigated in astudy in 14 patients with previously untreatedmetastatic colorectal cancer. Patients received 0.2,0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg doses of 1018-ISS subcutaneouslyon weeks 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8, with irinotecan 180mg/m2 given every other week and cetuximab 400mg/m2 given in week 1 and then 250 mg/m2 givenevery week. Gastrointestinal toxicity was observed,with one patient experiencing grade 3 diarrhea at the1.0 mg/kg dose of 1018-ISS. The maximum tolerated1018-ISS dose was not reached. A biomarker of drugactivity, the measurement of interferon alpha-inducedgenes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells 24hours after 1018-ISS dosing, was positive in 2/5, 3/4and 1/2 patients at the 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg doses.Progressive disease was seen in 7 of 12 evaluablepatients at a median of day 70, while the remainingpatients had stable disease at a median of day 120 orcould not yet be assessed (Hwang, J.J. et al.Gastrointest Cancers Symp (Jan 25-27, Orlando)2008, Abst 317).

[February 08, 2008] Idera and Merck KGaAreceive Hart-Scott-Rodino clearance for collabo-ration agreement. Idera Pharmaceuticals hasreceived clearance under the Hart-Scott-RodinoAntitrust Improvements Act for its worldwide licens-ing and collaboration agreement with Merck KGaA,signed in December 2007, thus entitling Idera toreceive an upfront licensing fee of USD 40 millionfrom Merck. Under the agreement, Idera exclusivelylicensed the therapeutic oncology applications,excluding cancer vaccines, of its lead toll-like recep-tor 9 (TLR9) agonists, IMO-2055 and IMO-2125. Inaddition, using Idera's chemistry-based approach tothe design and creation of TLR-targeted compounds,

Biotech News

ALZHEIMERS' EYE TESTCount every " F " in the following text:

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS...

SEE BELOW

HOW MANY ? WRONG, THERE ARE 6 -- no joke. READIT AGAIN ! Really, go Back and Try to find the 6 F's beforeyou scroll down.

The reasoning behind is further down. The brain cannot process"OF". Go back and look again!! Anyone who counts all 6 "F's"on the first go is a genius. Three is normal, four is quite rare.

Test Your Brain

[March 04, 2008] Recent patents disclose noveltreatment options for cardiovascular disorders.ChemoCentryx has imparted three series of com-pounds, including triazolyl phenyl and pyridyl ben-zenesulfonamides, that act as chemokine CCR2and/or CCR9 receptor antagonists. Such compoundsare predicted to be of particular use in the therapeuticintervention of atherosclerosis. Additional applica-tions include restenosis, multiple sclerosis, inflam-matory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, fibrosis,obesity, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary dis-ease, transplant rejection, neuropathic pain and can-cer (WO 2008008374, WO 2008010934 and WO2008008375).

(Biotech News, cont. from page 11)

the companies have agreed to engage in research toidentify a specified number of novel, follow-onTLR9 agonists for which Merck will have the exclu-sive right to use in oncology applications other thancancer vaccines (Idera Pharmaceuticals NewsRelease).

[February 21, 2008] New therapeutic agents forviral hepatitis reported in recent Gilead patents.Gilead has divulged a novel series of 4,6-di- and2,4,6-tri-substituted pteridine derivatives that func-tion as antiviral agents that are claimed for use incombating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection andother infections pertaining to Flaviviridae familyviruses. They are characterized by a distinct substitu-tion pattern that confers selectivity and a particularpropensity to suppress viral replication (WO2008009079). Moreover, Gilead scientists haveimparted the synthesis of a series of compounds withToll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) modulatory propertiesthat are described as being particularly effective insuppressing hepatitis C and B viral infections (WO2008005555). In a separate development, a series ofantiviral phosphinate compounds has been claimedby Gilead for treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infec-tion (WO 2008005565).

WO 2008009079

WO 2008005555

WO 2008005565

WO 2008008374

WO 2008010934


April, 2008 13

vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC), a severe ocularallergy. iCo plans to out-license systemic indicationson a worldwide basis, and has sufficient antibodymanufactured to enable a partner in certain additionalphase II indications. iCo has received iCo-008 drugsubstance from Lonza, which holds iCo's master cellbank, has carried out process development on theprogram and has previous experience manufacturingthe drug. The drug targets eotaxin-1, which is associ-ated with the chemokine receptor CCR3. Blockingeotaxin-1 has been shown to be effective in inhibit-ing early phase mast cell activation as well as latephase eosinophilia (iCo Therapeutics News Release).

[March 17, 2008] New therapeutic agents for res-piratory disorders reported in recent patent liter-ature. AstraZeneca has disclosed a novel series oftricyclic spiropiperidine compounds that act as mod-ulators of chemokine receptors, notably CCR1 recep-tors. They are described as being particularly usefulfor treating respiratory disorders such as chronicobstructive pulmonary disease and asthma (WO2008010765).

[March 25, 2008] Mepolizumab investigated ineosinophilic esophagitis and nasal polyposis.Interleukin-5 inhibition with the humanized mono-clonal antibody mepolizumab (GlaxoSmithKline)demonstrated activity in patients with severe nasalpolyposis and in a study in patients with severeeosinophilic esophagitis. In a double-blind study, 30patients with nasal polyposis were randomized to 2single i.v. injections of mepolizumab 750 mg orplacebo. With mepolizumab, nasal polyp scores weresignificantly reduced at weeks 8 (60% vs. 10%) and12 (65% vs. 20%) compared to placebo, and moremepolizumab-treated patients had an improved nasalpolyp score at weeks 8 and 12. Surgery was requiredby 15% of the mepolizumab group and 50% of theplacebo group (Gavaert, P. et al. J Allergy ClinImmunol [Annu Meet Am Acad Allergy AsthmaImmunol (AAAAI) (Mar 14-18, Philadelphia) 2008]2008, 121(2, Suppl.): Abst L26). A randomized, dou-ble-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 11 patients withactive eosinophilic esophagitis evaluated i.v. admin-istration of mepolizumab 750 mg on days 0 and 7.Patients not in complete remission at week 4received 2 additional doses of placebo or mepolizumab


[March 11, 2008] KaloBios initiates phase I/IItrial of KB-002 in persistent asthma.KaloBios has initiated a phase I/II clinical study ofKB-002, the company's anti-GM-CSF monoclonalantibody, as a potential treatment for persistent asth-ma. The blinded, placebo-controlled study, which isbeing conducted at over five sites in Australia, willenroll up to 24 patients who will receive either KB-002 or placebo. Endpoints for the study will includesafety, measurements of forced expiratory volume(FEV1) and inflammatory markers (KaloBios NewsRelease).

[March 12, 2008] Cerimon and Novartis Pharmaenter agreement for proof-of-concept study ofSimulect in uveitis. Cerimon has entered into anagreement with Novartis Pharma to conduct a proof-of-concept study for Simulect(R) (basiliximab), amonoclonal antibody that selectively blocks theinterleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor, for the treatment ofnoninfectious uveitis. In February 2006, Cerimonlicensed basiliximab from Novartis for the treatmentof inflammatory bowel disease (Cerimon NewsRelease).

[March 13, 2008] iCo Therapeutics presents aclinical update on human monoclonal antibodyiCo-008. iCo Therapeutics has presented a clinicalupdate on iCo-008 (bertilimumab, formerly knownas CAT-213), a human monoclonal antibody target-ing eotaxin-1, which the company licensed fromMedImmune. The preclinical and clinical history ofthe drug, which has been tested in 126 patients inphase I and II clinical trials, indicates that it may beeffective in several large market systemic indica-tions, including severe asthma, food allergies andallergic rhinitis. iCo plans to develop iCo-008 for

WO 2008008375



1500 mg. Mepolizumab was associated with adecrease in mean blood eosinophils, and meaneosinophil count was reduced by 67% in esophagealtissue. Swallowing difficulties were improved in twomepolizumab-treated patients at 2 months after thelast infusion, while only one placebo-treated patientsaw improvement. There were no clinically relevantadverse events (Straumann, A. et al. J Allergy ClinImmunol [Annu Meet Am Acad Allergy AsthmaImmunol (AAAAI) (Mar 14-18, Philadelphia) 2008]2008, 121(2, Suppl.): Abst 171).

[March 20, 2008] Sustained rilonacept effects seenin cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes. The24-week extension of a 24-week study in patientswith cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes(CAPS), including familial cold autoinflammatorysyndrome (FCAS) and Muckle-Wells syndrome(MWS), has shown sustained improvement in signsand symptoms with rilonacept treatment(Arcalyst[TM]; Regeneron). The interleukin-1inhibitor received FDA approval for CAPS treatmentin February 2008. Of 47 patients initially treated withplacebo or rilonacept 160 mg s.c. weekly, 44 enteredthe open-label extension study. The percentages ofpatients with at least 30%, 50% and 75% improve-ment in key symptom scores at week 6 were 96%,87% and 70%, respectively, with rilonacept and 29%,8% and 0%, respectively, with placebo. At week 48,these percentages were 93%, 91% and 68%, respec-tively, for rilonacept-treated patients receiving thetreatment for 33-48 weeks. Key symptoms includedrash, fever/chills, joint pain, eye redness/pain andfatigue. Large reductions in C-reactive protein andserum amyloid A were seen with rilonacept treatmentat week 6 (92% and 94%, respectively) and after 33-48 weeks (77% and 84%, respectively) (Hoffman,H.M. et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol [Annu Meet AmAcad Allergy Asthma Immunol (AAAAI) (Mar 14-18,Philadelphia) 2008] 2008, 121(2, Suppl.): Abst 669).

More information on this list can be obtained athttp://clinicaltrials.gov [CT], http://www.center-watch.com/search.asp [CW], or http://clinicalstud-ies.info.nih.gov [CCNIH].

Study of Pegylated Alfa Interferon, Sunitinib andTarceva in Patients With Metastatic RCC.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00522249.Contact: Diana Lema, 713-441-7934,[email protected]. Location: The Methodist HospitalResearch Institute, Houston, Texas, United States,77030. Principal Investigator: Robert J Amato, D.O.,The Methodist Hospital Research Institute. Study IDNumbers: RCC-06-101, 0806-0132.

A Study Comparing the Effects on MelanomaWith High Dose IFN Alone vs Cisplatin, Velban,DTIC, IL-2, IFN and G-CSF (S0008).ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00546416.Contacts: Richard Rosenbluth, MD, 201-996-5900ext 5900, [email protected]; Nadina Dev,RN, BSN, 201-996-5744 ext 5744,[email protected]. Location: Hackensack UniversityMedical Center, Hackensack, New Jersey, UnitedStates, 07601. Principal Investigator: RichardRosenbluth, MD, Hackensack University MedicalCenter. Study ID Numbers: 01-05-047.

Efficacy Study of an Anti-TNF Alpha Agent inPatients With Hand Osteoarthritis (DORA).ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00597623.Contacts: Xavier Chevalier, PU-PH, (0)1 49 81 2700 ext +33, [email protected];Amandine Rialland, (0)1 49 81 37 98 ext +33, [email protected]. Location: CHU HenriMondor, Créteil, France, 94000. PrincipalInvestigator: Xavier Chevalier, PU-PH. Study IDNumbers: P 051007.

An Exploratory Study of the Effects of a SingleDose of QAX576 (an Interleukin-13 MonoclonalAntibody) on Simulated Hayfever.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00584584.Contact: Novartis, +41 61 324 1111. Locations:

Clinical TrialsHannah Nguyen

(Clinical Trials, cont. from page 14)

Germany and United Kingdom. PrincipalInvestigator: NOVARTIS, Novartis investigator site.Study ID Numbers: CQAX576A2104.

Peg-Intron Versus Adefovir in the Treatment ofChronic Hepatitis B (CHB) e Antigen PositivePatients in Taiwan (Study P04498).ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00371761.Contact: SP Clinical Trial Registry Call Center 1-888-772-8734. Locations: 6 Investigational Sites inTaiwan. Principal Investigator: Ding-Shinn Chen,MD, National Taiwan University Hospital. Study IDNumbers: P04498.

Study of PEG-rIL-29 (or PEG-IFN Lambda) inSubjects With Chronic Hepatitis C VirusInfection. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT00565539. Contacts: Sherri Sousa, (206) 434-4702, [email protected]; Lara Williamson, (206) 428-4029, [email protected]. Locations: North Carolina,Oregon, Texas, United States. Study Director: DianaF Hausman, MD, ZymoGenetics. Study ID Numbers:526F06.

Retreatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Non-Responders With Pegylated Interferon Alpha +Ribavirin + Pioglitazone. ClinicalTrials.gov identifi-er: NCT00433069. Contact: Francesco Negro, Prof.+41-22-3729355. [email protected]: Service de Gastroentérologie etd'Hépatologie, University Hospital, Geneva, GE,Switzerland, 1211. Principal Investigator: FrancescoNegro, Prof, University of Geneva, Switzerland.Study ID Numbers: GE-DMI-05-116.

Adjuvant, Combined Interleukin-2 (Proleukin)and DTIC (Dacarbazine) in High-Risk MelanomaPatients. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00553618.Contacts: Jason A Chesney, MD, 502-562-4370; Bev S Taft, MSN, 502-852-4143,[email protected]. Location: JamesGraham Brown Cancer Center, Louisville, Kentucky,United States, 40202. Principal Investigator: Jason AChesney, MD, James Graham Brown Cancer Center,University of Louisville. Study ID Numbers: 07.0008

Interleukin-11 in Adults With Von WillebrandDisease Undergoing Surgery. ClinicalTrials.govidentifier: NCT00524225. Contacts: Margaret VRagni, MD, MPH, 412-209-7288, [email protected]; Kristen Jaworski, RN, 412-209-7411, [email protected]. Locations: Hemophilia Center ofWestern PA, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States,15213-4306. Principal Investigator: Margaret VRagni, MD, MPH. Margaret V Ragni, MD, MPH,University of Pittsburgh. Study ID Numbers:PRO07030210

Effect of rIL-21 on Metastases in Lymph Nodes inMelanoma Skin Cancer. ClinicalTrials.gov identifi-er: NCT00601861. Contact: Public Access toClinical Trials - Novo Nordisk, [email protected]. Location: Berlin, Germany.Study Director: Paul Kristjansen, MD, PhD, DMSc,Novo Nordisk A/S. Study ID Numbers: NN028-1801, EudraCT No: 2006-005350-79

Combined Herceptin and GM-CSF for MetastaticBreast Cancer. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier:NCT00429104. Contact: Naoto Ueno, MD, PhD,713-792-8754. Location: U.T.M.D. AndersonCancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States,77030. Principal Investigator: Naoto Ueno, MD,PhD, U.T.M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Study IDNumbers: DM01-0100.

Monoclonal Antibody 3F8 and GM-CSF inTreating Young Patients With High-Risk,Refractory or Relapsed Neuroblastoma.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00450307.Location: Memorial Sloan - Kettering CancerCenter, New York, New York, United States, 10021.Contact: Brian H. Kushner, MD, 212-639-6793,[email protected]. Study Chair: Brian H.Kushner, MD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering CancerCenter. Study ID Numbers: CDR0000534397,MSKCC-05015.

April, 2008 15

Read out loud the text inside the triangle below.

More than likely you said, "A bird in the bush,"! and. ....... if this IS what YOU said, then you failed to see thatthe word THE is repeated twice! Sorry, look again.

Next, let's play with some words.What do you see?

In black you can read the word GOOD, in white theword EVIL (inside each black letter is a white letter).It's all very physiological too, because it visualizesthe concept that good can't exist without evil (or theabsence of good is evil).

Now what do you see?

You may not see it at first, but the white spaces readthe word optical, the blue landscape reads the wordillusion. Look again! Can you see why this paintingis called an optical illusion?

What do you see here?

This one is quite tricky! The word TEACH reflectsas LEARN.

Last one. What do you see?

You probably read the word ME in brown, but....... when you look through ME you will see YOU! Do you need to look again?

MIND GAMES


April, 2008 17

The organizers cordially invite you to participate inthe 7th Joint Meeting of the International Society forInterferon and Cytokine Research and theInternational Cytokine Society "Cytokines 2008" tobe held October 12 to 16, 2008 in Montreal, Quebec,Canada. Our Conference will harness the biomedicalexpertise and energies of these major societies to pro-vide a comprehensive update of recent insights intobasic and clinical aspects of Cytokines in Cancer,Inflammation, and Infectious Diseases. The overalltheme of this Conference is Translating Knowledgeinto Health, and is chosen to emphasize the integra-tion of basic, pre-clinical, pharmaceutical and clinicalresearch in the areas of cancer, immune modulation,inflammation and infectious diseases. Topics to becovered will include cytokine/interferon structure andfunction, gene regulation, signal transduction, regula-tion of cell survival, microenvironment, newcytokines, as well as the multiple roles of cytokines inimmunology, inflammation, angiogenesis, hostdefense and tumor biology. A significant part of theconference will be devoted to cytokine-based thera-pies in malignancy and other disorders as well asemerging therapies targeting cytokines in autoim-mune, inflammatory and malignant diseases. Seniorscientists, young investigators, physicians, postdoc-toral fellows, graduate students and representatives ofthe pharmaceutical industry all stand to profit fromthe interactions available at this venue. We believe that this Conference - set in the beautiful cosmopoli-tan city of Montreal during the stunning fall display

Cytokines in Cancer and Infectious Diseases7th Joint Conference of the ISICR and ICS

October 12 -16, 2008 Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel

Montreal, Quebec

Dining and restaurantsdiner et restaurants

STASH CAF É200, rue st-Paul Ouest 514-845-6611

Take equal measures of European charm and Old Montreal atmosphere, blend in traditional cuisine, sprinkle with Polish art and season to

taste with vodka … that’s Stash ’s!Une mesure de charme europ éen, une mesure d’ambiance du Vieux -Montréal, une cuisinetraditionnelle relev ée’d’un soupçon d’art

polonais et arrosée de vodka, voil à la recette du succ ès de Stash!

S LE RESTAURANT125 rue St. Paul O. 514 -350-1155

A delectable creative menu featuring a variety of fresh fish, Angus beef, Quebec lamb andpasta, to name but a few. Marvelously trendyand comfortable setting coupled with friendly,professional service.

Un menu séduisant par sa vari été et sa créativit é. Vast s élection de poissons frais ,

boeuf Angus, agneau du Québec, pâtes, et autres excellents plats. D écor splendide ,

ambiance branch ée, service professionnel et sympathique .

AIX CUISINE DU TERROIR711 côte de la Place d’Armes

514-904-1201

A delicious, generous andprogressive cuisine. Its

gastronomic lounge, Suite701, offers a gourmet lunch

menu, exquisite cocktailsand a trendy ambiance

unique in Montreal .

Une cuisine savoureuse , généreuse et évolutive . Sonlounge gastronomique , la

Suite 701, vous offre un menu du midi gourmet, des cocktails exquis et une ambiance branchée unique àMontréal.

www.www.tourismetourisme--montrealmontreal .org.org

Cytokines 2008

Museums and galleriesmusées et galeries

MUSÉE D’ART CONTEMPORAIN DE MONTR ÉAL135, rue Ste -Catherine Ouest . 514-847-6226

MUSÉE DES BEAUX -ARTS DE MONTR ÉAL1379-1380, rue Sherbrooke Ouest . 514-285-2000

ESPACE VERRE1200 rue Mill . 514 -933-6849

School and glass studio, gallery and boutique. Glass blowing demo.

Collegial degree and initiation classes.

École-atelier , galerie , boutique. Entr ée libre. Démonstration de verre souffl é. Formation collégiale

et cours d ’initiation pour tous

GALERIE MICHEL -ANGE430, rue Bonsecours . 514-875-8281

Located in a historical building dating back to 1863, exhibits the works of more than 250 renowned Canadian artists.

Située dans un édifice à caract ère historique construit en 1863, elle expose plus de 250 artistes canadiens de

renomm ée internationale

of colors - will reflect the best of current cytokineresearch and will provide a vital impulse for furtherdevelopment.

Canadian Organizing CommitteeJohn Hiscott - McGill UniversityMarc Servant - Universite de MontrealEleanor Fish - University of TorontoKaren Mossman - McMaster UniversityMichele Barry - University of AlbertaJohn Schader - University of British Columbia


(Cytokines 2008, cont. from page 17)

As of March 15, 2008 - Dates and Times of specificlectures are subject to change

Sunday, October 12, 2008

13:30 - 20:00 Registration - MEZZANINELEVEL

12:00 - 17:00 ISICR / ICS Council andCommittee Meetings

18:00 - 20:00 Opening Ceremony - LE GRAND SALONJohn Hiscott (Chair, ScientificOrganizing Committee)Eleanor Fish (President,International Society forInterferon and CytokineResearch) Carl Ware (President,International Cytokine Society)

ISICR and ICS AwardsPresentationsHonorary Lectures

Keynote Address

20:00 - 20:30 Nahum Sonenberg,Department of Biochemistryand McGill Cancer Center,McGill University (Canada) )

Translational Control ofInnate Immunity Via IRF-7

20:30 - 22:30 Welcome Reception(with Buffet Dinner) HOCHELAGA 1 TO 6

Tentative ProgramMonday, October 13, 2008

08:00 - 18:00 Registration - MEZZANINELEVEL

08:30 - 12:30 Plenary Session 1 - PatternRecognition Receptors andSignaling to Innate andAdaptive ImmunityLE GRAND SALONSession Chairs: Luke J. O'Neill,Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)Marc Servant, Université deMontréal (Canada)

Speaker and Topics:

08:30 - 09:00 Luke J. O'Neill, TrinityCollege Dublin (Ireland)New Regulators of Toll-likeReceptor Signaling

09:00 - 09:30 Caetano Reis e Sousa,London Research Institute,Cancer Research (UK)Innate Recognition Pathwaysin Dendritic Cells

09:30 - 10:00 Andrew Bowie, TrinityCollege Dublin (Ireland)Insights into Innate ImmuneSignaling Pathways fromVaccina Immune Evasion

10:00 - 10:30 Dana Philpott, University ofToronto (Canada) - Role ofNod-like Receptors in Innateand Adaptive Immunity

10:30 - 11:00 Coffee Break (Foyer)

11:00 - 11:30 Jenny Ting, University ofNorth Carolina at Chapel Hill(USA) - New Functions forNLR Proteins: Cell Deathand Type I IFN Response

17:20 - 17:40 Dong-Er Zhang, Universityof California, San Diego(USA) - ISG15ylation and itsConsequence

17:40 - 18:00 Paul Fox, Lerner ResearchInstitute, Cleveland Clinic(USA) - TranslationalRegulation of IFNgamma-induced Proteins

Speaker and Topics:Symposium 2 - Biology andRegulation of the TNFSuperfamily - MARQUETTESession Chair - Carl Ware,LaJolla Institute of Allergy andImmunology (USA)

16:30 - 17:00 Carl Ware, LaJolla Instituteof Allergy and Immunology(USA)

17:00 - 17:20 George Kollias, AlexanderFleming Institute (Greece)

17:20 - 17:40 Marja Mikkola, University ofHelsinki (Finland)

17:40 - 18:00 Genhong Cheng, Universityof California, Los Angeles(USA)

18:00 - 19:30 Poster Session 1 (topics determined after Abstractsreceived) - HOCHELAGA2 TO 6

PP 1 - Signal TransductionPP 2 - Cytokines and DiseasePP 3 - Cytokines andChemokines: Mechanismsof ActionPP 4 - Immune Cell Activationand Function

April, 2008 19

(Tentative Program, cont. from page 18)

11:30 - 12:00 Anthony Coyle, MedImmuneInc. (USA) - Danger Signals,Interferons and AutoimmuneDisease

12:00 - 12:30 TBD

12:30 - 14:00 Lunch Break (on your own)

14:00 - 16:00 Concurrent Workshops

Workshop 1 - SignalTransduction - LE GRANDSALONWorkshop 2 - Cytokines andDisease - MARQUETTEWorkshop 3 - Cytokines andChemokines: Mechanisms ofAction - JOLIETTEWorkshop 4 - Immune CellActivation and Function - DULUTH


16:30 - 18:00 Concurrent Symposia

Speaker and Topics:Symposium 1 - Functions ofInterferon Stimulated Genes -LE GRAND SALONSession Chair - Ganes Sen,Lerner Research Institute,Cleveland Clinic (USA)

16:30 - 17:00 Ganes Sen, Lerner ResearchInstitute, Cleveland Clinic(USA) - Induction, Functionsand Viral Evasion of theISG56 Family of Genes

17:00 - 17:20 Michael David, University ofCalifornia, San Diego (USA) -Antiviral Effects of InterferonMediated by miRNA


Tuesday, October 14, 2008

08:00 - 18:00 Registration - ALCOVE

08:30 - 12:30 Plenary Session 2Inflammation and Cancer - LE GRAND SALONSession Chairs: Giorgio Trinchieri, Centerfor Cancer Research - NCI,Frederick MD (USA)Maya Saleh, Microbiologyand Immunology, McGillUniversity (Canada)

Speaker and Topics:

08:30 - 09:00 Alberto Mantovani,Instituto Clinico Humanitas (Italy) -Pathways ConnectingInflammation and Cancer

09:00 - 09:30 Giorgio Trinchieri, Centerfor Cancer Research - NCI,Frederick MD (USA) - Roleof Pro-InflammatoryCytokines in Carcinogenesis

09:30 - 10:00 Jurg Tschopp, University ofLausanne (Switzerland) - TheInflammasome in Health and Disease

10:00 - 10:30 Richard Jove, BeckmanResearch Institute of City ofHope (USA) - Diverse Rolesof STAT3 Signaling inCancer


11:00 - 11:30 TBD

11:30 - 12:00 TBD

12:00 - 12:30 TBD



Workshop 5 - GeneRegulation: Transcriptionaland Post-transcriptionalMechanisms - MARQUETTEWorkshop 6 - Control of CellGrowth and Death in Cancer& Hematopoiesis- LEGRAND SALONWorkshop 7 - Cytokines andtheir Receptors: Structure-Function - DULUTHWorkshop 8 - PathogenEvasion of the Host CytokineResponse - JOLIETTE



Speaker and Topics:Symposium 3 - microRNARegulation of Cytokine GeneExpression - LE GRANDSALONSession Chair - BryanWilliams, Monash Institute forMedical Research (Australia)

16:30 - 17:00 Bryan Williams, MonashInstitute for Medical Research(Australia) - Stimulation ofInnate Immunity by ShortInterfering and microRNA

17:00 - 17:20 Greg Goodall, HansonInstitute, Adelaide (Australia)

- Role of the miR-200 Family in Mediating EMT inResponse to TGF-beta



7:20 - 17:40 Robert Silverman, LernerResearch Institute, ClevelandOhio (USA) - Role of SmallRNAs Generated by RNaseLin Antiviral Innate Immunity

17:40 - 18:00 TBD

Speaker and Topics:Symposium 4 - Biology ofTh17/IL17 - MARQUETTESession Chair - Sarah Gaffen,SUNY-Buffalo (USA)

16:30 - 17:00 Sarah Gaffen, SUNY-Buffalo(USA) - Structure andFunction in the IL-17 Receptor

17:00 - 17:20 John O'Shea, NationalInstitute of Health (USA)

17:20 - 17:40 Wim van den Berg,University of NijmegenMedical Center (Netherlands)- IL-17 in Arthritis and JointErosion

17:40 - 18:00 Xiaoxia Li, Lerner ResearchInstitute, Cleveland Clinic(USA) - The Role of Act1 inIL-17/Il-25 MediatedSignaling

18:00 - 19:30 Poster Session 2 (topics determined after Abstractsreceived) - HOCHELAGA2 TO 6PP 5 - Gene Regulation:Transcriptional and Post-transcriptional MechanismsPP 6 - Control of Cell Growthand Death in Cancer &HematopoiesisPP 7 - Cytokines and theirReceptors: Structure-FunctionPP 8 - Pathogen Evasion ofthe Host Cytokine Response

19:30 - 22:00 Evening at the MontrealMuseum of Fine Arts

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

08:00 - 18:00 Registration - ALCOVE

08:30 - 12:30 Plenary Session 3 - Cytokinesand Emerging InfectiousPathogens - LE GRANDSALONSession Chairs: Eleanor Fish,University Health Network(Canada) Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Mount Sinai School of Medicine (USA)

Speaker and Topics:08:30 - 09:00 Eleanor Fish, University

Health Network (Canada) - H5N1 and Interferon-α: ABattle for Supremacy

09:00 - 09:30 Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, MountSinai School of Medicine(USA) - Modulation ofInfluenza Virus Replicationand Virulence by Viral HostProtein Interactions

09:30 - 10:00 Heinz Feldmann, RockyMountain Labs (USA) - Ebolaand Marburg Viruses:Immunopathology andImmunoprotection

10:00 - 10:30 Grant McFadden, Universityof Florida (USA) - PoxvirusImmune Evasion and HostTropism are Linked byCytokines


April, 2008 21


11:00 - 11:30 Michael Gale, University ofWashington (USA) -Triggering and Control of Innate Immunity by HepatitisC Virus

11:30 - 12:00 TBD

12:00 - 12:30 TBD


12:30 - 14:00 ISICR / ICS General Membership Meeting - (CHAUDIÈRE & MATAPEDIA)


Workshop 9 - Cytokines inthe Development of Innate andAdaptive Immunity - MARQUETTE Workshop 10 - Induction ofCytokines and Interferons - DULUTH Workshop 11 - Bench toBeside: Preclinical Models - MACKENZIEWorkshop 12 - CytokineGenetics: Polymorphisms andtheir Relationship to Disease - JOLIETTE




Speaker and Topics:Symposium 5 - CytokineSignaling During LymphocyteDevelopment and Function - JOLIETTESession Chairs: ChristianSchindler, ColumbiaUniversity (USA) Warren Leonard, Laboratoryof Molecular Immunology,NHLBI, NIH (USA)

16:30 - 17:00 Christian Schindler,Columbia University (USA) -

17:00 - 17:20 Warren Leonard, Laboratoryof Molecular Immunology,NHLBI, NIH (USA) -

17:20 - 17:40 Thomas Decker, Universityof Vienna (Austria) -

17:40 - 18:00 TBD

Speaker and Topics:Symposium 6 - Regulatory TCells - MARQUETTESession Chair - EthanShevach, Laboratory ofImmunology, NIAID (USA)

16:30 - 17:00 Ethan Shevach, Laboratoryof Immunology, NIAID(USA) - Control of ImmuneResponses by Natural andAdaptive Regulatory T Cells

17:00 - 17:20 David Hafler, HarvardUniversity (USA) - CytokineRegulation of HumanRegulatory T Cells

17:20 - 17:40 Chyi-Song Hsieh, WashingtonUniversity, St. Louis (USA) - Thymic and PeripheralRegulatory T cell Development

Speaker and Topics:09:00 - 09:30 Tadamitsu Kishimoto, Osaka

University (Japan) - ClinicalTrials Involving IL-6 ReceptorBlockade

09:30 - 10:00 Charles Dinarello, Universityof Colorado (USA) - IL-1Receptor Antagonists

10:00 - 10:30 Jeff Browning, Biogen Idec(USA) - Blockade of theLymphotoxin/LIGHT Pathwayand the Treatment ofAutoimmune Disease


11:00 - 11:30 Mary K. Crow, Hospital forSpecial Surgery, Weill MedicalCollege (USA) - Interferons inthe Pathogenesis of SystemicLupus Erythematosus

11:30 - 12:00 TBD

12:00 - 12:30 TBD


14:00 - 16:00 Late Breaking Session

April, 2008 23


17:40 - 18:00 Juan Lafaille, New YorkUniversity (USA) - AdaptiveFoxp3+ Regulatory T Cells

18:00 - 19:30 Poster Session 3 (topics deter-mined after Abstracts

received)- HOCHELAGA 2 TO 6PP 9 - Cytokines in theDevelopment of Innate andAdaptive Immunity PP 10 - Induction of Cytokinesand InterferonsPP 11 - Bench to Beside:Preclinical Models PP 12 - Cytokine Genetics:Polymorphisms and theirRelationship to Disease

20:30 - 23:30 Dreamscape Gala - E GRAND SALON

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Keynote Address08:30 - 09:00 Tada Taniguchi, Department

of Immunology, University ofTokoyo (Japan) - 30 YearsAfter the Dawn of CytokineMolecular Biology: Roles of IRF Transcription Factors

09:00 - 11:00 Plenary Session 4 - Cytokine-Based Therapeutics - LE GRAND SALONSession Chair:Marc Feldmann, Kennedy Instituteof Rheumatology Division (UK)

International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research

REMEMBER to check the ISICR website(www.isicr.org) for the latest information

regarding ISICR Award applications. You must be a 2008 member to be

considered for the awards!!!!!5 year memberships are now available!

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDBETHESDA, MD 20814

PERMIT NO. 4982

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR INTERFERON andCYTOKINE RESEARCH9650 Rockville PikeBethesda, MD 20814-3998U.S.A.

a message from the new isicr president, eleanor fish€¦ · march, 2008 isicr officers president...

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