New Frontiers at the Interface of Immunity and Glycobiology (C5) 2011

Carbohydrates are often overlooked in the study of the immune system, yet mounting data show that glycans, whether microbial or host in origin, play central roles in essentially all immune response pathways. Changes in glycosylation of host proteins can lead to autoimmunity, indicate oncogenic transformation, or even promote metastasis. Inflammation can be strongly influenced by carbohydrate binding proteins on immune cells. Selectins play critical roles in cell homing to the site of infection, while glycosylation directly influences cellular development and differentiation. Recent advances also highlight how glycan-mediated antigen recognition by dendritic cells impacts our understanding of the innate immune response, while other findings reveal that glycolipids and bacterial polysaccharides can lead to NKT and T cell activation. The goal of this meeting is to bring together the international glycoimmunology community to foster interactions and promote the latest insights into the role of glycans in the immune system.