NEWSLETTER Australasian Society for Immunology Incorporated PP 341403100035 ISSN 1442-8725 June 2006 Overview of the JCSMR Immunogenomics Laboratory 2006 Gerard Hoyne Overview they were able to reveal that the autoimmune but Dr Horikawa, a postodoctoral fellow in The Immunogenomics Laboratory at the regulator gene AIRE, which is expressed by the lab, has made the remarkable fi nding that John Curtin School of Medical Research in a subset of thymic epithelial cells, plays a the exact opposite is the case. The memory Canberra comprises four research groups critical role in establishing T cell tolerance B cell receptor is less active at inducing a working in concert to develop an integrated to self antigens in the thymus. In addition, subset of genes, and in this case less signal understanding of how our immune system is Adrian also identifi ed that defective signals means more antibody formation. controlled at the cellular and molecular level to cell death genes account for the inherited by circuits that are specifi ed in our genome resistance of T lymphocytes to clonal deletion Carola Vinuesa heads the Humoral sequence. Each of the groups focuses on in the thymus of NOD mice. Upon infection memory and Autoimmunity Group. a different element of a fundamental set with a virus or bacteria, B lymphocytes with Her group is investigating the cellular and of immune system decisions made at the the right antigen receptors to neutralize molecular events that regulate production level of individual immune system cells: infection are stimulated to switch the isotype and selection versus elimination of memory either to fi ght or to disarm. The process of of their receptor from IgM to IgG, and at the B cells which is of critical importance to deciding which immune cells should fi ght same time secretion of antibodies by these understand how best to harness immune and which should disarm is key to our ability switched cells is dramatically increased. responses against infection, and to mitigate to resist infection and parasitism. Mistakes A previous PhD student, Dr Steve Martin, against autoimmunity. One approach in this process result in incurable infections, discovered that the switched receptor – and utilised by Vinuesa’s group is to survey autoimmune diseases, allergy, lymphoma, indeed a small tail segment uniquely found the mammalian genome by ENU mouse and leukaemia. Moreover, drugs and other in switched receptors – explains the dramatic mutagenesis to identify single point ways to alter fi ght or disarm decisions are elevation of antibody secretion that serves mutations that predispose to systemic sorely needed to improve the success of organ as the cardinal measure of immunological transplantation and treatment of autoimmune memory. It was thought that the IgG tail cont. p4 diseases and metastatic cancer. would enhance antibody production by enhancing a signal within B lymphocytes, Contents For a long time it was not possible to see how memory and effector cells are JCSMR Immunogenetics Laboratory 1 made, nor how self-reactive lymphocytes disarm themselves. The Immunogenomics Editorial 3 Laboratory headed by Chris Goodnow has Day of Immunology 2006 3 pioneered ways to visualize these processes Treasurer’s Report on Audit 3 in genetically modifi ed transgenic mice. By studying cells from the transgenic mice, SIG Mucosal Immunology Update 5 we have discovered that each immune cell Councillors' News 6 must run through a complex series of fi ght 2004–2005 Audit Report 8 or disarm checkpoints before it can be fully ASI Student Page 12 launched into an immune response. In some ways, the process resembles the sequence of 2006 ASI Conference 13 fi ght/disarm decisions in a military missile Comments from ASI Members 16 launch, which serve a similar purpose of An Immunological Saga 17 preventing friendly fi re and optimising targeting against invaders. Together with Upcoming Lectures & Conferences 20 Adrian Liston a former PhD student in the lab Chris Goodnow ASI Inc. Newsletter June 2006 ASI Inc. COUNCIL President Vice President Dr Philip Hodgkin Professor Alan Baxter Non-Voting Councillors: Walter & Eliza Hall Institute CGC, James Cook University 1G Royal Parade Townsville Qld 4811 Newsletter Editor Parkville Vic 3050 Ph: 07 4781 6265 Fax: 07 4781 6078 Dr Miles Davenport Ph: 02 9385 2762 Fax: 02 9385 1389 Ph: 03 9345 2609 Fax: 03 9347 0852 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Journal Editor Professor Chris Parish Honorary Secretary Honorary Treasurer Ph: 02 6125 2604 Fax: 02 6125 2595 Dr Jose Villadangos Dr Norbert Kienzle Email: [email protected] Walter & Eliza Hall Institute Queensland Institute of Medical Research 1G Royal Parade 300 Herston Road Visiting Speakers Co-ordinator Parkville Vic 3050 Brisbane Qld 4006 A/Prof J. Alejandro Lopez Ph: 03 9345 2532 Fax: 03 9347 0852 Ph: 07 3362 0379 Fax: 07 3362 0105 Queensland Institute of Medical Research Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] CBCRC/I, Post Offi ce Royal Brisbane Hospital Qld 4029 Ph: 07 3845 3794 Fax: 07 3845 3510 State Councillors Email: Email: [email protected] New South Wales Victoria & Tasmania Council Member of IUIS Dr Bernadette Saunders Dr Phillip Darcy Professor Chris Parish Ph: 02 9565 6114 Fax: 02 9565 6101 Ph: 03 9656 3769 Fax: 03 9656 1411 Ph: 02 6125 2604 Fax: 02 6125 2595 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Honorary Archivist & Webmaster: Queensland South Australia & Northern Territory Dr Judith Greer Dr Christopher Schmidt Dr Claudine Bonder Ph: 07 3365 5133 Fax: 07 3365 5462 Ph: 07 3362 0313 Fax: 07 3362 3510 Ph: 08 8222 3852 Fax: 08 8232 4092 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Administrative Correspondence Western Australia Australian Capital Territory Ms Judi Anderson Dr Chris Andoniou Dr Guna Karupiah ASI Inc. Secretariat Ph: 08 9381 0799 Fax: 08 9381 0700 Ph: 02 6125 4562 Fax: 02 6125 2595 PO Box 7108 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Upper Ferntree Gully Vic 3156 Ph: 03 9756 0128 Fax: 03 9753 6372 New Zealand Email: [email protected] Prof John Fraser Ph: +64 9 373 7599 ext 86036 Fax: +64 9 373 8774 Email: [email protected] FIMSA Councillor Contact for Tasmania Professor Nicholas King Dr Greg Woods Ph: 02 9351 4553 Fax: 02 9351 3429 Tel: 03 6226 4830 Fax: 03 6226 4833 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 j.greer@medicine. uq.edu.au 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 June 2006 EDITORIAL The Day of Treasurer’s report Immunology – on the Financial This quarter’s newsletter brings exciting details of the upcoming annual conference April 29, 2006 Audit for ASI for in Auckland in December. A list of speakers For the second consecutive year the European is included on pages 13-15, and conference Federation of Immunological Societies 2004/2005 details can be found at the website below. (EFIS) has organised the Day of Immunology (DoI) on April 29. This year, the emphasis ASI passed its inaugural fi nancial audit A new addition to the newsletter is the was on delivering information about the with fl ying colours. As stated previously annual audit of ASI’s fi nances (p8-11). The discipline of Immunology to school kids. to the membership, record growth Council thought it important to share this with Most of the activities took place in Germany (note, not net) income and Victorian members so we can all know our membership (Berlin, Hannover, Munich, Erlangen) and Government laws made it necessary that funds are being managed well. If reading Denmark and included conferences and ASI underwent an independent audit for this is not enough of a challenge, we also meetings of general interest dealing with the fi nancial year from 1 November 2004 have our fi rst “immunology crossword” by subjects such as antibody-therapy, avian to 31 October 2005. Margaret Crossley our student representative Amanda Taylor infl uenza and multiple sclerosis. from WHK Day Neilson in Melbourne (p12) to test your mental agility. undertook the audit and her fi ndings The main project was the launching of are to be found on pages 8–11 of this Finally, some refl ections by Tony Basten on the prize for “Partners in Immunology newsletter . pages 17-20. Tony retired as director of the and Education” (PIE) which will reward Centenary Institute earlier this year and his proposals fostering the interactions between As stated in the summary of income article is a very humorous and interesting research institutes and schools that facilitate and expenditure, ASI has a total of recount of his adventures during a life in the understanding of Immunology by school $333,743 in accumulated funds including immunology. children. The prize of €1500 will be awarded a surplus of $50,520. These fi gures are during the coming European Immunology slightly higher as the ones stated in Miles Davenport Congress in Paris (Sept.