Mucosal Perspectives in pneumococcal disease
A one-day workshop focusing on stimulating research and collaborations on this topic
Date: Thurs 30 April 2009
Location: Liverpool Medical Institute (10 mins walk away from the Liverpool Lime Street train station)
Provisional programme.......................................................................Online registration
Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is the principle causative agent for a large burden of human diseases including otitis media, pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis. The pneumococcus, of which there are over 90 serotypes, has been estimated to cause up to one-third of deaths, worldwide in children under five years of age, mostly in the developing world (UNICEF/WHO 2006).
It has also been acknowledged in a recent Lancet editorial (Oct 25 2008 372:1438) that pneumococcal disease should be higher on the UK and international agenda akin to HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.
Due to drawbacks with currently available vaccines, efforts are underway to develop a new, possibly inhaled, vaccine that will utilise pneumococcal proteins conserved across serotypes together with appropriate adjuvants for inhalation into the human lung. A better understanding of colonisation/infection by the pneumococcus and other respiratory pathogens will aid in the design of this vaccine and in the selection of an appropriate adjuvant(s).
Questions to be addressed by the workshop include-
- What human experimental medicine studies are required that will translate basic pneumococcal research for patient benefit?
- Should we prevent carriage?
- Is carriage immunising?
- Which pneumococcal proteins should be taken forward for a mucosal vaccine?
- Which adjuvant and what is the most appropriate response?
Aims of the workshop
The aims of the workshop, as outlined in a recent editorial publication by the IDRN (Nature Microbiology 6: May 2008 page 328), are to
- Identify priority areas for research focussing on the human mucosal respiratory immune response towards pneumococcal colonisation/infection
- Foster collaborations between research leaders for a focussed multi-disciplinary approach towards the development of novel interventions that will improve outcome for patients in the short and long term
- Lead to measurable outcomes in the form of funding proposals/submissions and published proceedings
Registration
To register online, click here
Cost£49.79 per delegate
Venue
Liverpool Medical Institute (10 mins walk away from the Liverpool Lime Street train station)
United Kingdom
Click here for directions on the LMI website, or click here for an alternative map.
Payment information
If you pay by cheque, please make them payable to 'University College London' and sent to Cherry Constantine, Department of Primary Care & Population Sciences, UCL - Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London, NW3 2PF.
During the registration process, you will be asked to specify your chosen payment method. If you select bank transfer, we will email you instructions.
You can also pay by credit card (UK delegates only), by downloading a credit card form, and faxing it to us. For this form, and detailed information on payments, please click here.
Delegate list
Click here for a current delegate list.
Accommodation
Should you require accommodation in the local area, there are many hotels available. Click here for a list on the Yellow Pages website.
Contact
Please direct queries to either Cherry Constantine, c.constantine@ucl.ac.uk or Michael Head, mhead@idrn.org , or phone 020 7830 2239.