Dynamism of immune reactions and regulation.

An International Symposium, “Dynamism of Immune Reactions and Regulation,” which was organized by the Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC) of Osaka University, was held on May 22 and 23, 2012, at Osaka International Convention Center in Osaka, Japan. The symposium was originally scheduled to be held in May 2011 as one of the events to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Osaka University’s founding but was cancelled because of the Great East Japan Earthquake and its aftermath. Many of the world’s leading scientists were invited as lecturers to describe their current progress in elucidating immune reactions and the mechanisms that mediate and regulate immune responses. In addition, one session was dedicated in commemoration of the 23rd anniversary of Professor Yuichi Yamamura’s death. Professor Yamamura, who set a new cornerstone in pathology and immunology research in Japan, was also a great educator in Osaka University. The symposium received the support of the Kishimoto Foundation and Funding Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science and Technology, the FIRST Program AKIRA Project. Here we present a brief overview of the major topics discussed in the meeting.