The Fourth NIAID Workshop in Medical Mycology:
Host Responses to Fungi
University of Nevada
Reno, NV
August 20-23, 1997
Introduction
Induction
and Expression of the Immune Response
Immunomodulation
Inflammation
and Granuloma
Mucosal
and Lung Resistance in Infectious Disease
Emerging
Technologies for Application to Studies in Host
Resistance
Topic
Summary and Speakers
The NIAID
recognizes medical mycology as an area in need of
development. An Institute-sponsored workshop on
"Mycology Research in the 1990's" in
Chicago, Illinois, 28-29 September 1991 addressed
the increasing importance of medical mycology.
Twenty medical mycologists from throughout the
United States were invited to discuss the issues
and to conceptualize and condense the active
research areas into topic areas in need of
development.
Five areas were
targeted for focus. These were molecular
mycology, diagnosis and treatment, immunology,
antigen structure and function, and epidemiology.
Each of these five topic areas was targeted for
development into a separate
workshop/minisymposium, co-sponsored by the NIAID
and educational grants raised by the medical
mycological community.
"Molecular
Medical Mycology," the first workshop in the
series, was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota on
24-26 June, 1993 and chaired by
Dr. Paul T. Magee. One hundred and
forty-seven mycologists attended and exchanged
ideas. A key to the success of information
exchange was the utilization of "break
out" sessions that provided an informal
setting for free exchange of ideas, an
opportunity for a more active involvement for all
of the participants, and an environment fostering
new collaborations.
"Molecular
and Immunologic Approaches to the Diagnosis and
Treatment of Systemic Mycoses," the second
workshop in the series, was held on the campus of
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona,
8-11 June 1994. The workshop format was modeled
after the first in the series, and was attended
by 80 registrants. Drs. John Galgiani and Michael
Pfaller chaired this event whose findings are
still timely.
"Immunology
in Medical Mycology (Part 1 of 2): Antigenic
Peptides, Glycobiology and Vaccines," the
third workshop in the series, was held at the
Yellowstone Conference Center, Big Sky, Montana,
7-9 September 1995. The workshop format was
modeled after the first two in the series and was
attended by 90 registrants. Drs. Rebecca Cox, Jim
Cutler, and George Deepe the workshop whose
findings were summarized in ASM News 62;81-84,
1996.
"Immunology
in Medical Mycology (Part 2 of 2): Host Responses
to Fungi," the fourth workshop in the
series, was held at Granlibakken Conference
Center, Lake Tahoe, California, 20-23 August
1997. The workshop format was modeled after the
previous three in the series and was attended by
75 registrants. Drs. Thomas Kozel and Juneann
Murphy co-chaired the workshop along with session
chairs Drs. Arturo Casadevall and Jack Sobel.
I believe the
workshop series continues to be successful in
accomplishing the stated goals, and that this
success is representative of the field of medical
mycology whose time has come. Finally, I would
like to thank all those who contributed to the
success of these workshops, including all of the
participants, organizing and writing committees.
John R. La
Montagne, Ph.D.
Director
Division of
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, NIAID
