VIB conference - 'Type 2 immunity in homeostasis and disease'

Type 2 inflammation rich in eosinophils, basophils and mast cells and orchestrated by Th2 lymphocytes has been mainly studied in the context of allergies and immune responses to helminths. Since the discovery of type 2 innate lymphoid cells there has been a strong interest in understanding how type 2 immunity is induced and regulated, for example by barrier epithelial cells.

Given the recent introduction of new biologics that target type 2 cytokines to treat severe allergic disease, we are accumulating a lot of new insights on type 2 immune responses in humans as well.

This meeting will not only focus on new effector and regulatory mechanisms of the type 2 immune response. It will also offer a number of talks taking a broader look on type 2 immunity, dealing with such topics as type 2 immunity in homeostasis, growth and repair, metabolism, neuro-immune interactions and cancer.

Understanding these alternative roles for type 2 immunity will be important to address the benefits and potential pitfalls of long-term inhibition of type 2 immunity by biologicals and could elucidate new therapeutic pathways for very common diseases like asthma, obesity, diabetes and cancer.

Abstracts can be submitted for the following topics:

  1. Tissue homeostasis and repair
  2. Type 2 Neuro-immune axis
  3. Type 2 in allergy, asthma & helminth infection
  4. Type 2 Immunity & Cancer