Myeloid Cells: From Birth to Immunity and Disease - ABSTRACT
Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Myeloid Cells: From Birth to Immunity and
Disease, organized by Drs. Venizelos Papayannopoulos, Claudia Jakubzick and Martin Guilliams. The
conference will be held in Banff, Alberta, Canada from March 6 - 9, 2022.
Myeloid cells are the workhorses of the innate immune system. They are essential for survival and play central
roles in human disease. Recent developments have uncovered novel roles for myeloid cells in orchestrating
immune defense, tissue homeostasis, metabolic state, and neurological function. These functions are
regulated by complex cellular signaling pathways and a fascinating network of interactions with other host cells
and microbes and the microbiome. Myeloid cells can also be deregulated to promote inflammatory, metabolic,
degenerative and neurological conditions and hijacked by pathogens and tumor cells to promote infection and
cancer. The conference will explore the diverse biological roles of myeloid cells and highlight the pathways that
define myeloid cell identity. One unique aspect of this conference is that one focus on the program will be on
how myeloid cell differentiation is tuned by lifestyle, immunological and metabolic cues to shape cell function.
The program will also cover the interactions between myeloid cells and other immune cells, tumors, the stroma
and neuronal compartments. The conference will highlight the latest developments in our understanding of the
cell biological, metabolic and signaling mechanisms that regulate myeloid cell responses. Attendees will leave
the conference with a comprehensive view of how myeloid cell differentiation and cellular regulation impacts
function in homeostasis and disease. This perspective will promote synergy across research areas and
identify exciting future research directions.
