From Bench to Bedside and Back Again: Understanding the Interplay Between the Host and Pathogens of the Lung

Lower respiratory tract infections accounted for 3.2 million deaths worldwide in 2015 making it the most deadly communicable disease and the third leading cause of death behind ischemic heart disease and stroke. The 2018 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Biology of Acute Respiratory Infection will highlight new findings in respiratory tract infections, including clinical burden of disease in vulnerable populations, innate immune recognition and responsiveness, infection-mediated exacerbations in individuals with lung diseases, immunoregulation and repair mechanisms during lung injury after respiratory tract infections. An international group of experts have been assembled to provide cutting-edge overviews of these rapidly evolving topics. The GRC on Biology of Acute Respiratory Infection and associated Gordon Research Seminar strive to bring together basic, translational and clinical scientists to foster communication and understanding of basic mechanisms that inform the development of innovative approaches to the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of serious infections of the respiratory tract.