Understanding the Host-Fungal Dialogue: Implications for Therapy and Management

The incidence of fungal infections is rising and is a serious threat to public health, yet this problem is relatively under-appreciated by the press, the public and funding agencies. Some fungal infections are highly lethal and disproportionately affect vulnerable patients such as neonates and transplant and cancer patients. The requirement for immune-based therapies and novel antifungal drugs to counteract these worrying trends is therefore greater than ever. Recent advances in the fungal immunology field have led to an increasing awareness of the impact of commensal fungi on the mucosal immune system, as well as the intricate fungal evasion mechanisms that promote disease. Yet, there remains a wealth of questions as to how fungi invade host tissues and how the immune system responds to this invasion.

In this Seminar, the upcoming next generation of fungal immunologists from around the world will be brought together to present cutting-edge ideas and novel insights that helps us to understand the mechanisms underlying fungal-host interactions, the molecular pathways that promote protection against fungal infections, and how this information might be exploited in the clinic. The program will promote discussion on these topics and will conclude with a final training session on communicating research to journal editors, the public and grant committees.

This meeting is an ideal opportunity for early-career researchers in the fungal immunology field wishing to present their new research, expand their network of contacts, and receive informal career advice from senior faculty and rising stars within the field, who will be present as Discussion Leaders.