The intestine is colonized by an impressive community of commensals, that has profound effects on the immune funtions. The relationship between gut microbiota and the immune system is one of reciprocity: commensals have important contribution in nutrient processing and education of the immune system and conversely, the immune system, particularly gut-associated lymphoid tissues plays a key role in shaping the repertoire of gut microbiota.

It has been clear for a long time that after transplantation of a lymphoid organ, hematopoietic stem cells can regenerate the compartments of the organ, provided that the rest of its architecture - the strome, the epithelia and the vessels - is intact. Ahead lies the even greater challenge to assemble also these other architectural elements of a lymphoid organ by transplanting stem cells. The workshop on lymphoid organogenesis was convened to review current knowledge of and experimental skills involved in this grand project to build a lymphoid organ from its individual cellular components.

The diversity of antigen-binding structures of antibody molecules is so vast that every conceivable antigen can be bound by an antibody molecule within the immune system. This is true even for the antigen binding sites of antibodies called idiotypes, which are bound by complementary bind- ing sites of other antibodies called anti-idiotypes. Thus, anti-idiotypes are structural homologues of antigens. These idiotypic-anti-idiotypic interactions constitute a network within the immune system. Since one lymphocyte produces only one type of antibody molecule, this network is in fact a network of...

The eighth workshop in this series on Mechanisms in B-Cell Neoplasia 1990 was held in Wilson Hall at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland on March 28-30. Five major topics formed the basis for the discussions: 1) progress in experimental models of B-cell tumorigenesis, 2) the role of IL-6 in plasma cell tumor formation with particular emphasis on human myeloma, 3) immortaliza- tion and regulation of mitosis in B-cells, 4) the mYQ gene in B-cell neoplasia, and 5) the role of EBV and other oncogenes in transforma- tion of human B-Iymphocytes. A meeting on the Epidemiology of...

The 12th Workshop on ""Mechanisms in B-Cell Neoplasia"" continues this series of meetings on intriguing new developments in human and experimental B-cell tumors. The integration of knowledge from basic B-cell biology to the clinical problems of multiple myelomas, follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma and B-CLL present the challenges that were discussed in the meeting.
The discussion focusses on:
- Cellular components of the "myeloma clone"
- Genomic instability in B-cells and B-cell tumors
- The CD5 antigen and B1 cells
- Regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis
- Role...

Workshops on the mechanisms of B cell neoplasia have been organized alternatively in Bethesda and Basel since 1983. Prog- ress in our understanding of the development and responses of B lymphocytes is presented and discussed with the aim and hope to understand what might go wrong when B lymphocytes are transformed into malignant cells. Such knowledge might lead to better diagnosis, prevention and even cure of these terri- ble diseases. The presentations at the Bethesda workshops are published as papers in volumes of Current Topics in Microbiol- ogy and Immunology, while the presentations and...

It has been clear for a long time that after transplantation of a lymphoid organ, hematopoietic stem cells can regenerate the compartments of the organ, provided that the rest of its architecture - the strome, the epithelia and the vessels - is intact. Ahead lies the even greater challenge to assemble also these other architectural elements of a lymphoid organ by transplanting stem cells. The workshop on lymphoid organogenesis was convened to review current knowledge of and experimental skills involved in this grand project to build a lymphoid organ from its individual cellular components.