Orchestrating Cell Migration and Location in Health and Disease

Leukocyte migration is a hallmark of the mammalian immune defense system. Chemotactic cytokines comprise a family of almost 50 small proteins with 3D structural homology, which induce cell migration and control positioning through cognate Gi-protein-coupled receptors. Cells orient and migrate along chemokine gradients, which are formed through the interplay of sources and sinks. Atypical chemokine receptors, which are structurally related to the typical receptors, but do not couple to G-proteins, by virtue of their scavenging activity act as sinks and are critical for the formation of stable chemokine gradients.

The chemokine system is the main orchestrator of leukocyte trafficking in health, inflammation and during immune responses. Typical examples are the homing of leukocytes to the bone marrow, the segregation of B and T cell zones in secondary lymphoid organs, the recruitment of immune cells to sites of inflammation and the migration of antigen loaded dendritic cells to lymph nodes, which all critically depend on a functional chemokine system. In addition to its role in immunity, the chemokine system also guides non-hematopoietic cells in development and adulthood. In many non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including carcinogenesis and metastatic spread, autoimmune and cardiovascular disorders, which are currently still responsible for over 80% deaths worldwide, the chemokine system has pivotal functions. On the other side, viruses often use the versatility of the chemokine system to infect host cells or to escape the immune responses.

The 2022 GRC program will focus on the latest advances on the functions of the chemokine system in health and disease, addressing molecular mechanisms of signal transduction and responses to chemotactic gradients.

The program offers more than 20 slots for the presentation of late breaking abstracts. The venue in Les Diablerets is located in an idyllic landscape of the Swiss mountains at an altitude of just over 1200 meters (about 4000 feet) surrounded by 3000 meter peaks. Next to hiking in the nearby mountains, the resort offers many possibilities for outdoor activities.