Interferons (IFNs) activate cell-intrinsic defence mechanisms to fight infections. The innate immune response to infections overlaps and cooperates with cellular stress signalling governed by the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p38. Laura Boccuni in the group of Thomas Decker unravelled the molecular mechanism how macrophages merge the IFN JAK-STAT and the stress p38 MAPK pathways to enhance the beneficial but also the detrimental effects of the innate and inflammatory responses. With the exception of one, all SFB groups contributed to this SFB-financed publication.

Published in Science Signaling

Laura Boccuni, Elke Podgorschek, Moritz Schmiedeberg, Ekaterini Platanitis, Peter Traxler, Philipp Fischer, Alessia Schirripa, Philipp Novoszel, Angel R. Nebreda, J. Simon C. Arthur, Nikolaus Fortelny, Matthias Farlik, Veronika Sexl, Christoph Bock, Maria Sibilia, Pavel Kovarik, Mathias Müller, Thomas Decker

Stress signaling boosts interferon-induced gene transcription in macrophages
https://doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.abq5389

See also for RELATED FOCUS: Rewiring the logic board of IFN signaling, by John D. MacMicking John D. MacMicking
https://doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.adf0778

The conference will be held at the Sheraton Resort, Rhodes, Greece on June 2-7, 2019.

Organizing committee: Belinda Parker, Leonidas Platanias, Mathias Müller and Serge Y Fuchs.

The Conference is under the sponsorship of Aegean Conferences, a non-profit educational organization promoting science through focused scientific conferences (www.aegeanconferences.org). Registration will be limited to 80-110 participants for this meeting; therefore, there should be ample opportunities for interactions and discussions.

The conference sessions present subject areas focused on:

Role of cytokines in tumor initiation, progression and metastatic disease

Anti-tumorigenic effects of interferons and other cytokines

Cytokine-mediated immune regulation and tumor microenvironment

Cytokines and cancer stem cells

Targeting cytokine pathways for anti-cancer treatment and therapeutic use of cytokines

The program details will be presented soon. Click here to download the flyer

https://www.aegeanconferences.org/src/App/conferences/view/139