2023 Special Interest Group Satellites

Learn about the session options and program details below for these pre-conference symposiums programmed by members for members. Sessions to be presented on Wednesday, September 27th, 2023 in conjunction with SLB 2023. Sign-up during registration OR contact us to add any of these great sessions onto your schedule. A single $25 fee applies to participate in the sessions on September 27th which includes the session and an AM and/or PM break with light refreshments.

check back for more details coming soon

SIG 1: The Impact of Maternal Health on Offspring Immunity (9am-12pm)

Co-Chairs: Ilhem Messaoudi, University of Kentucky & Jennifer Bermick, University of Iowa

Maternal health conditions such as obesity and infection as well as pathologic environmental exposures including pollutants during pregnancy can alter the development and maturation of the offspring immune system results in both short and long-term consequences on immune fitness in the offspring. For instance, pregravid obesity and gestational diabetes are associated with an increased risk of developing asthma, wheezing and atopic dermatitis. Similarly, exposure to heavy metals (lead, cadmium, and arsenic) during pregnancy results in an immunosuppressive phenotype in offspring. Maternal infection, notably chorioamnionitis, lead to increased number and severity of viral respiratory illnesses and persistent wheezing. While the link between maternal health and offspring immune health is clearly documented, we lack an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms underlying these changes. It is also unclear if different maternal conditions and exposures influence offspring immune function using common or disparate mechanisms. The goal of this SIGs is to bring together researchers in the fields of obstetrics and maternal health, neonatology, and pediatrics to discuss the latest advances connecting maternal health during pregnancy  to offspring immune function and immune-related health outcomes.

SIG 2: Regulation of the Microenvironment by Leukocyte-derived Extracellular Vesicles or Exosomes (9am-12pm)

Co-Chairs: Brian Dobosh, Emory University; Kris Genschmer, University of Alabama Birmingham; Camilla Bell, University of Alabama Birmingham 

SIG 3: Myeloid Cells in Inflammatory Diseases (1-4pm)

Co-Chairs: Zhichao Fan, UConn Health School of Medicine & Lynn Hedrick, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University

SIG 4: Harnessing the Innate Immune System in the Fight Against Sepsis (1-4pm)
Co-Chairs: Julia Bohannon, Vanderbilt University Medical Center & Vidula Vachharajani, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of CWRU

Sepsis and septic shock, the leading causes of death in hospitalized patients, kill over 270,000 patients in the US each year. While tremendous advances have been made in supportive care, currently there are no sepsis-specific therapies to treat patients. Immune response in sepsis transitions from early hyper-inflammatory to a late/hypo-inflammatory phenotype. Arguably, the treatment strategies need to be different for each phase. There is a dire need for phase-specific targets to act as biomarkers and/or treatment strategies. Emerging evidence suggests that many epigenetic, metabolic and other factors that can be explored as phase-specific targets to treat sepsis. This satellite session will focus various aspects of innate immune dysregulation during sepsis. Importantly, this session will help stimulate discussion amongst the scientists about sepsis and septic shock, which have become a public health crisis.