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NEWSLETTER Australasian Society for Immunology Incorporated PP 341403100035 ISSN 1442-8725 March 2010 Attacking type 1 diabetes from all sides Stuart I. Mannering, Helen E. Thomas, Jan Allison, Thomas C. Brodnicki & Thomas W.H. Kay St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia Overview We’re interested in understanding and The study of T1D offers the possibility of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune preventing the autoimmune response that applying new insights from the study of disease that occurs when the insulin- leads to T1D. There are many unsolved immune pathogenesis to the development of producing beta cells in the pancreas are basic immunology questions highlighted by immune therapies to treat or prevent T1D. destroyed by a T-cell mediated immune T1D. For example, why does the immune Manipulation of the immune system, in the response. Unusually for an autoimmune system turn against the insulin-producing form of vaccination, to prevent infectious disease, T1D is most common in children and cells in an otherwise perfectly healthy disease, has been remarkably successful. adolescents. The autoimmune destruction person? This is another manifestation of To date, autoimmune diseases have not of the insulin-producing cells is believed to the long-standing immunological puzzle been amenable to antigen-specifi c immune continue unnoticed until there are insuffi cient of self-tolerance. In this case, the loss of therapies, similar to microbial vaccination. insulin-producing cells to maintain glucose self-tolerance is remarkably tissue-specifi c; The ability to detect auto-antibodies and homeostasis. Until Banting and Best only the insulin-producing beta cells, within high-risk HLA haplotypes allows clinicians discovered insulin, children with T1D died the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, are to identify people who are very likely to rapidly. The discovery of insulin, and its destroyed. Why do some people develop develop clinical T1D. These individuals widespread availability, has allowed millions T1D, but not others? It is clear that T1D are typically healthy, so if the autoimmune of people to lead full lives despite having tends to run in families but genes, while they process could be blunted, by an antigen- T1D. Although dramatic, insulin treatment contribute, are not the full story. The genetic specifi c therapy akin to vaccination, T1D is no miracle cure. People with T1D are at and epidemiological evidence suggests might be prevented. Some people who already increased risk of vascular complications there is an environmental ‘missing link’, have established T1D can be treated by islet which can lead to kidney disease and something that conspires with one’s genes to transplantation. This therapy is currently blindness for example. Hypoglycemia precipitate T1D. The identity of this factor, or in its infancy, but early results from work unawareness is also a potentially fatal combination of factors, remains the subject at SVI and other centres around the world complication. of speculation. have shown improved glycaemic control Some of the members of the and quality of life in diabetic recipients Immunology and Diabetes Unit cont. p4 Contents Attacking Type I Diabetes 1 Editorial 3 President’s Column 6 AGM Minutes 7 Honorary Secretary’s News 9 ASI Visiting Speaker Program 10 History of the ASI 12 The People Who Are ASI 13 Councillors’ News 15 ASI 2009 ASM Report 16 Thoughts After my First Year 18 Student Page 19 Upcoming Lectures & Conferences 19 ASI Inc. Newsletter March 2010 ASI Inc. COUNCIL Non-Voting Councillors: Newsletter Editor President Vice President A/Prof Margaret Baird A/Prof Miles Davenport Dr David Tarlinton Ph: 64 3 479 7712; Fax: 64 3 479 8540 Centre for Vascular Research Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Email: [email protected] University of New South Wales Research Kensington NSW 2052 1G Royal Parade, Parkville Vic 3050 Journal Editor Ph: 61 2 9385 2762 Ph: 61 3 9345 2615 Professor Chris Parish Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Ph: 61 2 6125 2604 Fax: 61 2 6125 2595 Email: [email protected] Honorary Secretary Honorary Treasurer Dr Suzanne Heinzel Dr Pablo Silveira Visiting Speakers Co-ordinator Vaxine Pty Ltd Garvan Institute A/Prof J. Alejandro Lopez Flinders Medical Centre 384 Victoria Street Queensland Institute of Medical Research Bedford Park SA 5042 Darlinghurst NSW 2010 CBCRC/I, Post Offi ce Ph: 61 8 8204 4239 Ph: 61 2 9295 8429 Royal Brisbane Hospital Qld 4029 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Ph: 61 7 3845 3794 Fax: 61 7 3845 3510 Email: Email: [email protected] State Councillors New South Wales Victoria & Tasmania Council Member of IUIS Dr Stuart Tangye Dr Stephen Turner Professor Chris Parish Ph: 61 2 9295 8455 Ph: 61 3 8344 8090 Ph: 61 2 6125 2604 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Queensland South Australia & Northern Territory Honorary Archivist & Webmaster: Dr Heiner Korner Dr Michele Grimbaldeston Dr Judith Greer Ph: 61 7 4781 4563 Ph: 61 8 8222 3083 Ph: 61 7 3346 6018 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]. Email: [email protected] au Administrative Correspondence Western Australia Australian Capital Territory Ms Judi Anderson Dr Alec Redwood Dr Stephen Daley ASI Inc. Secretariat Ph: 61 8 9346 2512 Ph: 61 2 6125 7605 PO Box 7108 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Upper Ferntree Gully Vic 3156 Ph: 61 3 9756 0128 Fax: 61 3 9753 6372 New Zealand Email: [email protected] Dr Joanna Kirman Ph: 64 4 499 6914 Email: [email protected] FIMSA Councillor Contact for Tasmania Dr Guna Karupiah Dr Greg Woods Ph: 61 2 6125 4562 Tel: 61 3 6226 4830 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website The ASI web site (www.immunology.org.au) has been fully remodelled and updated. New services include: ¾ Downloadable forms for ASI awards, ¾ Positions vacant pages, ¾ Jobs wanted pages, ¾ Upcoming conferences listings, as well as a plethora of links to sites of immunological interest at home and abroad. If you‛d like your lab home pages linked to the site, would like to advertise a job or conference, or have a favourite immunology-related site that doesn‛t currently appear on the ASI site, please email Judy Greer at [email protected] Email bulletin board To subscribe to the ASI bulletin board, send an email to [email protected] with the message: subscribe anz-imm. 2 ASI Inc. Newsletter March 2010 EDITORIAL Welcome to the fi rst issue of our Newsletter for 2010. You will fi nd that there is an eclectic mix of articles. I would like to highlight ‘Thoughts after my fi rst year”, a provocative opinion piece from Erika Duan in which she ruminates on her career options after a year as a postgraduate student. The photo says it all. Three excellent scientists are to visit this year. Just yesterday Jack Bennink visited Dunedin in New Zealand and his presentation included impressive in vivo two photon microscopy of cellular movement within the draining lymph The Emu-nologist (Phil Hodgkin) node following vaccinia virus infection. with the Bursa There was no accompanying music a la Ron Germain. What could we offer? Shall I stay or shall I go? Tricky rhythmically. Introducing the Court Photographer – former The request for input to compile a history of ASI President, Alan Baxter. (Thank you, Alan, for ASI should be drawn to the attention of all the conference photos.) readers, particularly ‘mature’ immunologists. Keven Turner is eager to obtain those old ASI fi ling boxes so please do rise to the challenge. The origin of the Bursa, described some years ago in an ASI Newsletter, might well rate a mention. Phil Hodgkin (see photo at right) looks a tad threatened by its presence. Just who actually made this icon? Clearly, Jose, in the accompanying picture from the Gold Coast ASI meeting, doesn’t have the answer – but then he is far too young to know. It could be fun to have some captions for these pictures for the next newsletter (deadline 1st May). Margaret Baird Who knows, Jose? Contributions sought for the ASI Newsletter ASI Secretariat PO Box 7108, You could win $200 !! Upper Ferntree Gully,Vic. 3156 Australia Deadline for the next issue : Tel: +61 3 9756 0128 1st May 2010 Fax: +61 3 9753 6372 Email: [email protected] Please email your contributions to the Secretariat by the above date. Offi ce hours: [email protected] 8.30am – 4.30pm 3 ASI Inc. Newsletter March 2010 Attacking Type 1 Diabetes, cont. to human T1D. The Human T-cell lab has with C57BL/6 mice, a non-diabetes-prone continued to search for epitopes formed by mouse strain, has enabled them to begin after islet transplantation. Nonetheless, post-translational modifi cation. This work fine mapping and characterising three the development of successful islet relies heavily on the CFSE-based techniques different loci linked to T1D. Curiously, transplantation for all those with developed by Stuart Mannering that detect the NOD mouse doesn’t always harbour T1D depends upon basic advances in proliferation of rare auto-antigen specifi c a T1D susceptibility allele. Surprisingly, immunology and islet biology. T cells and clone these cells. The human they found that C57BL/6 mice harbour a autoantigen-specifi c T cell clones are used to susceptibility allele for Idd14, a T1D locus As well as a fascination with the mystery dissect the antigen and epitope specifi city of on chromosome 13, that exacerbates disease of autoimmunity, our group is also human CD4+ T cell responses in T1D.