Inflammation in the Lung: Friend or Foe in Viral Infections? - ABSTRACT
Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Inflammation in the Lung: Friend or Foe in
Viral Infections?, organized by Drs. Andreas Wack, Cecilia Johansson and Ivan Zanoni. The conference will
be held in Snowbird, Utah from April 23 - 26, 2023.
Recent and preceding pandemics and epidemics have dramatically shown the capacity of respiratory virus
infections to impact public health and bring society to a standstill. Inflammation takes center stage as it is an
important part of the anti-viral response and also sets up subsequent adaptive immune responses and repair.
Unfortunately, inflammation also potentially increases tissue damage and impairs or delays tissue
regeneration. This conference was designed for attendees to understand better how inflammation enhances
or impedes tissue repair and regeneration, as well as how to identify immune mediators that tip the balance
between immunopathology and protection and to understand underlying mechanisms. Additionally, this
program will include sessions that will discuss the role of innate immune cells in driving the inflammatory
response and initiate adaptive immunity. The program will also investigate how the crosstalk between immune
and nonimmune cells in the lung affects disease outcomes, and finally, it will highlight new avenues and novel
targets for treatment of viral infections. Bringing together experts in the host response to viral infections with
scientists working on lung development, repair and regeneration will generate synergies that are not normally
achieved in single specialized meetings. Finally, this conference will be held with another Keystone Symposia
Conference, “From First Breath: Lung Development, Infection, Repair and Aging.” This pairing will allow
participants to bridge the gap between classical antiviral responses carried out by innate and adaptive immune
cells, and the involvement of other lung cells such as epithelia and stroma cells, and to deepen the
understanding on how these cells interact. This cross-disciplinary interaction will help foster collaborations and
develop new angles of treatment of diseases caused by lung infections.
